Scientific Name
Cottus poecilopus

Common Name
Alpine bullhead

Biology
Inhabits northern, and mountain and foothill streams, and oligotrophic lakes. Found in fast-flowing waters of coastal streams, rivers, inland lakes, usually on stony bottoms (Ref. 4698). Moves downstream to estuaries and tolerates brackish waters (Ref. 4698). Feeds on algae (diatoms, desmids, blue-green algae), polychaetes, crustaceans, aquatic insect larvae and nymphs (Ephemeroptera, Trichoptera, Plecoptera, Chironomidae), fish eggs and larvae.

Classification

Classified By

Heckel, 1837

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Scorpionfishes and Flatheads (Scorpaeniformes)

Family

Sculpins (Cottidae)

Distribution

Region

Europe

Distribution

Europe: Streams in Carpathians draining to Danube, Dniestr, Vistula and Odra. Baltic Sea basin, especially in northern Sweden and Finland between 64 and 68?N, central Finnish lakes area, a few streams in southern Finland and northern Poland, Lake Ladoga and southern Lake Onega basins, a few lakes in northern Germany (extirpated), Lake Ha?cza in Poland and Skjernaa drainage in Denmark. In Siberia from River Ob eastward to River Lena. Absent in rivers draining to Baltic Sea south of Iij?ki drainage in central Finland and in rivers draining to the White and Barents Seas. Cottus populations from the Kolyma, Amur and Korean drainages usually identified as Cottus poecilopus belong to a different species. In Appendix III of the Bern Convention (protected fauna).

Range

72°N - 36°N, 10°E - 171°E

Environment

Climate

Temperate

Water Temperature From

Unknown °C

Water Temperature To

Unknown °C

Depth From - meters

0 m

Depth To - meters

15 m

Zone

demersal

Environment

Freshwater; brackish; demersal; depth range 0 - 15 m (Ref. 58496)

Trophic Level

2.98 s.e. 0.34 Based on food items.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

False

Occurs in Brackish water

True

Occurs in Fresh Water

True

Occurs on Reefs

False

Is kept in Aquariums

False

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

15.0 cm

Common Length

11.8 cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5000 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: ; bait: usually

Vulnerability

Low to moderate vulnerability (34 of 100)

Resilience

Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tmax=8)

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Least Concern (LC)