Margined Sculpin: Facts & Habitat

About Margined Sculpin

The margined sculpin (Cottus marginatus) is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. It is found in the United States, inhabiting the Columbia River drainage from the Walla Walla River system, Washington, to the Umatilla River system in Oregon. It reaches a maximum length of 13.0 cm. It prefers rubble and gravel riffles.

NativeFresh2 states

Article text: Wikipedia contributors, Margined sculpin (source revision). Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Diet and feeding

The FishTraits compilation records these diet categories for this species: invertebrates or larval fish. These are broad categories, not a claim that every individual consumes every example in a category.

Reported feeding positions include bottom feeding. The compilation combines published observations; diets can vary with age, locality, and available food.

Habitat preferences

Reported habitat associations include streams and small rivers, creeks.

The source records associations with clay or silt, gravel. An association indicates reported use, rather than an exclusive requirement.

Reproduction and parental care

Recorded spawning months are May, Jun for the source’s reporting region (WA). 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.

Size and recorded longevity

FishTraits reports a maximum total length of 6.3 centimetres. Some entries use an estimated asymptotic length; this value should not be treated as a certified record catch.

Range

Where it lives

58.2%of mapped records

Share of 67 GBIF observation records with a state location, across 2 states.

Share of records by state

Habitat

Water and movement

Water: WoRMS records this species in fresh water.
Migration: Not migratory

Classification

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Superclass: Actinopterygii
Class: Teleostei
Order: Scorpaeniformes
Family: Cottidae
Genus: Cottus
Species: Cottus marginatus
ITIS TSN: 167247
WoRMS AphiaID: 1019995
GBIF key: 2334146

Common questions about Margined Sculpin

What is the scientific name of Margined Sculpin?

The scientific name is Cottus marginatus, in the family Cottidae. Classification follows ITIS.

Does Margined Sculpin live in fresh water or salt water?

WoRMS records this species in fresh water.

Where has Margined Sculpin been recorded in the United States?

GBIF has observations in 2 states, with the most records in Washington, Oregon. The map shows observation records, which do not establish the complete natural range.

Closest relatives