BC Conservation Data Centre: Conservation Status Report
Cottus sp. 9
Rocky Mountain Sculpin
| Scientific Name: | Cottus sp. 9 |
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| English Name: | Rocky Mountain Sculpin |
| Provincial Status Summary | |
| Status: | S2 |
| Date Status Assigned: | May 15, 2019 |
| Date Last Reviewed: | May 15, 2019 |
| Reasons: | Rocky Mountain Sculpin (Cottus sp. 9), occupies a small number of locations within a small range (<300km2) within the Flathead River and it's tributaries in southeast BC. Current, significant threats include sedimentation from road building and all-terrain vehicle usage. |
| Range | |
| Range Extent: | C = 250-1,000 square km |
| Range Extent Estimate (km2): | 270 |
| Range Extent Comments: | Rocky Mountain Sculpin, Westslope designatable unit ("Rocky Mountain Sculpin") is found within the lower 28km of the Flathead River and nine of it's tributaries in southeast BC (COSEWIC 2010i). |
| Area of Occupancy Estimate (km2): | 78 |
| Linear Distance of Occupancy: | D = 21-100 |
| Area of Occupancy Comments: | The index of area of occupancy of Rocky Mountain Sculpin in BC is estimated to be 148 km2 using a 2x2 km grid and 78 km2 when using a 1x1 km grid overlay (COSEWIC 2010i). |
| Occurrences & Population | |
| Number of Occurrences: | B = 6 - 20 |
| Comments: | Rocky Mountain Sculpin occurs about 28 km of the lower Flathead River in BC, as well as in the lower reaches of the following Flathead River tributaries: Kishinena, Sage, Couldrey, Burnham, Howell, Cabin, Commerce, Middlepass (Haig), and Harvey creeks (COSEWIC 2010i). Natureserve methodology suggests a distance of 10km between element occurrences (in both suitable and unsuitable habitat) (NatureServe 2017, accessed June 28, 2017). |
| Number of Occurrences with Good Viability / Ecological Integrity: | Rank Factor not assessed |
| Number of Occurrences Appropriately Protected & Managed: | Rank Factor not assessed |
| Comments: | The federal Fisheries Act provides general protection for aquatic habitats in the Flathead Valley (COSEWIC 2010i). |
| Population Size: | U = Unknown |
| Comments: | From COSEWIC (2010i): this species has been collected sporadically in the Flathead drainage system since 1955; however, the collections (even from the same site) are not comparable because the collecting techniques and effort differ. All that can be inferred about abundance is that the species is still present in the reaches of the Flathead River where it was originally collected and, at these sites, it is still easy to collect. |
| Threats (to population, occurrences, or area affected) | |
| Degree of Threat: | BC = High - medium |
| Comments: | The most immediate threat to Rocky Mountain Sculpin in B.C. is sedimentation from road building associated with logging and mining and all terrain vehicle use. Pollution and infrastructure from mining activities pose significant threats (COSEWIC 2010i). |
| Trend (in population, range, area occupied, and/or condition of occurrences) | |
| Short-Term Trend: | G = Relatively Stable (<=10% change) |
| Comments: | The distribution of Rocky Mountain Sculpin in BC has not changed since the earliest collection in 1955. This suggests that there has probably not been a major change in numbers over the past 30 years (COSEWIC 2010i). |
| Long-Term Trend: | U = Unknown |
| Other Factors | |
| Intrinsic Vulnerability: | B=Moderately vulnerable |
| Comments: | Rocky Mountain Sculpin are relatively relatively short-lived (five to seven years). Sexual maturity in females is reached in two to three years and in males in two years (COSEWIC 2010i). |
| Environmental Specificity: | C=Moderate. Generalist or community with some key requirements scarce. |
| Comments: | This stream-dwelling species typically shelters in riffles and runs with moderate surface velocities and loose rock substrates (COSEWIC 21010i). |
| Other Rank Considerations: | |
| Information Gaps | |
| Research Needs: | |
| Inventory Needs: | |
| Stewardship | |
| Protection: | |
| Management: | |
| Version | |
| Author: | Gelling, L. |
| Date: | June 28, 2018 |
| References | |
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COSEWIC. 2010i. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Rocky Mountain Sculpin Cottus sp., Westslope populations, in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. x + 30 pp
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NatureServe. 2017. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 7.1. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available http://explorer.natureserve.org.
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Please visit the website Conservation Status Ranks for information on how the CDC determines conservation status ranks. For global conservation status reports and ranks, please visit the NatureServe website http://www.natureserve.org/.
Suggested Citation:
B.C. Conservation Data Centre. 2018. Conservation Status Report: Cottus sp. 9. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Jan 24, 2025).