# Grotto sculpin

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The **grotto sculpin** (***Cottus specus***) is a species of freshwater [ray-finned fish](/source/Ray-finned_fish) belonging to the [family](/source/Family_(taxonomy)) [Cottidae](/source/Cottidae), the typical sculpins.[1] It is found in the [United States](/source/United_States) where it only inhabits the [Bois Brule](/source/Bois_Brule_Creek_(Cinque_Hommes_Creek)) drainage (although not recorded from the main stream itself) in [Perry County](/source/Perry_County,_Missouri) of southeastern [Missouri](/source/Missouri).[2] It reaches a maximum [standard length](/source/Standard_length) of 10.3 cm (4.1 in).[1] This [cavefish](/source/Cavefish) lives in underground streams and their resurgences.[1] It was formerly confused with the more widespread *[C. carolinae](/source/Banded_sculpin)*, but can be separated by (among others) its smaller eyes and various degrees of reduced pigmentation.[1][2] It is one of only three known cases of [troglomorphism](/source/Troglomorphism) in the sculpin family, the others also involving U.S. *[Cottus](/source/Cottus_(fish))* (*[C. bairdi](/source/Mottled_sculpin)—[cognatus](/source/Slimy_sculpin)* species complex in [Pennsylvania](/source/Pennsylvania), and *C. carolinae* in [West Virginia](/source/West_Virginia)).[2]

## References

1. Adams, G.L.; B.M. Burr; J.L. Day; D.E. Starkey (2013). "Cottus specus, a new troglomorphic species of sculpin (Cottidae) from southeastern Missouri". *Zootaxa*. **3609** (5): 484–494. [doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3609.5.4](https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3609.5.4). [PMID 24699612](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24699612). [S2CID 11491879](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:11491879)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Grotto sculpin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grotto_sculpin) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grotto_sculpin?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.