Cottus baileyi
Cottidae · freshwater water fish
2 minute read · Species guide
The black sculpin (Cottus baileyi) is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. It is endemic to the United States. Its range includes the extreme upper Clinch and Holston River systems in western Virginia and just into northeastern Tennessee. It reaches a maximum length of 8 cm (3.1 in).
The black sculpin was first formally described in 1961 by C. Richard Robins, with its type locality given as "Middle fork of Holston River, 6 miles east-northeast of Marion, Smyth County, Virginia ". Its specific name honors the ichthyologist Reeve Maclaren Bailey, recognising his contribution to the study of American freshwater fishes.
Article text: Wikipedia contributors, Black sculpin (source revision). Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
The FishTraits compilation records these diet categories for this species: invertebrates or larval fish; larger animal prey (a source category covering fish, crayfish, crabs, or frogs). These are broad categories, not a claim that every individual consumes every example in a category.
Reported habitat associations include streams and small rivers, creeks, springs or subterranean waters.
The source records associations with gravel, cobble. An association indicates reported use, rather than an exclusive requirement.
The compilation reports a representative maturity age of 2 years. Its maturity field summarizes mean, median, or modal estimates, usually for females; male estimates can be used when female data are unavailable. It is not a fixed age at which every fish first breeds.
Recorded spawning months are Feb, Mar, Apr for the source’s reporting region (VA). This is a regional calendar, not a range-wide schedule.
The reproductive-guild classification includes guarding eggs or young at a spawning substrate or nest.
FishTraits reports a maximum total length of 8.4 centimetres. Some entries use an estimated asymptotic length; this value should not be treated as a certified record catch.
Recorded longevity in the compilation is 6 years. Wild observations were preferred, but captive records were accepted where wild records were unavailable, and unspecified records were assumed wild. The value is not a guaranteed wild lifespan or an aquarium life expectancy.
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