Report
Protecting our water to protect our community
Perry County Community Economic and Environment Committee
Record Number:
5200
Year:
2013
Pages:
128 pages
Abstract:
The grotto sculpin (Cottus specus) is a cave-dwelling fish that exhibits characteristics typical of
troglomorphic (adapted to living in constant darkness) organisms, including greatly reduced or absent
eyes and skin pigmentation (Burr et al. 2001). The grotto sculpin is currently found in two karst areas
(limestone regions characterized by sink holes, abrupt ridges, caves, and underground streams) in Perry
County, Missouri: Central Perryville and Mystery-Rimstone (Burr et al. 2001). The grotto sculpin occurs
in Blue Spring Branch (from the Moore Cave System resurgence to the confluence with Bois Brule Creek)
and the Cinque Hommes Creek drainage, including underlying caves, and Cinque Hommes Creek, its
tributaries, resurgences, and springs. Within the Cinque Hommes Creek drainage, populations have been
documented in five cave systems: Moore Cave, Crevice Cave, Mystery Cave, Rimstone River Cave, and
Running Bull Cave (Adams et al. unpub. data; Adams 2012, pers. comm.). Within these cave systems,
grotto sculpin occur in cave streams and associated resurgences and springs. Thus far Cinque Hommes
Creek and Blue Spring Branch are the only surface streams where grotto sculpin have been found. Cinque
Hommes Creek is the primary resurgence stream for caves in the Mystery-Rimstone Karst and Crevice
Cave in the Central Perryville Karst, whereas Blue Spring Branch is the resurgence stream for the Moore
Cave System (Burr et al. 2001). (Courtesy US Fish and Wildlife)
The grotto sculpin requires karst habitats that provide consistent water flow, high organic input, and
connection to surface streams, which allow for seasonal migrations to complete its life cycle. The karst
4
topography in Perry County is characterized by thousands of sinkholes (Vandike 1985) and over 700
caves (Fox et al. 2009)—more than any other county in Missouri. Water flow in karst systems occurs by
way of surface features, such as sinkholes and losing streams, as well as connectivity to the underlying
aquifer.
Times Cited:
1
Relevent Species:
Related Records:
Robins, C.R. (1954)
A taxonomic revision of the Cottus bairdi and Cottus carolinae species group in eastern North American (Pisces, Cottidae)
House, S. (1976)Karst and cave distribution in Perry County
Peck, S.B. and Lewis, J.J. (1977)Zoogeography and evolution of the subterranean invertebrate faunas of Illinois and southestern Missouri
Williams, J. D. and Howell, W. M. (1979)An albino sculpin from a cave in the New River drainage of West Virginia (Pisces: Cottidae)
Vandike, J.E. (1985)Movement of shallow groundwater in the Perryville karst area, Southeastern Missouri
Gardner, J.E. (1986)Invertebrate fauna from Missouri caves and springs
Walsh, J. (1988)Mystery Cave
Walsh, J. (1989)Rimstone River Cave
Burr, B.M., Warren, M.L. and Paul, R.J. (1992)Cavernicolous sculpins of the Cottus carolinae species group from Mystery Cave, Missouri
Paul, R.J., Burr, B.M. and Warren, M.L. (1993)Cavernicolous sculpins of the Cottus carolinae species group from Perry County, Missouri: Cave-life phenomena or speciation ?
Paul, R.J. (1994)Aspects of cave adaptation in sculpins of the Cottus carolinae species group (Cottidae) in Perry County, Missouri
Krejca, J., Burr, B.M., Warren, M.L. and Paul, R.J. (1994)Cavernicolous sculpins of the Cottus carolinae species group (Pisces, Cottidae) from Perry County, Missouri
Krejca, J.K., Burr, B.M., Paul, R.J. and Warren, M.L. (1994)Cavernicolous sculpins of the Cottus carolinae species group (Pisces: Cottidae) from Perry County, Missouri
Krejca, J. (1994)Field research to determine the distribution of a cave-adapted Sculpin (Osteichthyes: Cottidae)
Walsh, J. (1995)Exploration of Rimstone River Cave
Coombs, S. (1999)Signal detection theory, lateral‐line excitation patterns and prey capture behaviour of mottled sculpin
Coombs, S., Finneran, J.J. and Conley, R.A. (2000)Hydrodynamic image formation by the peripheral lateral line system of the Lake Michigan mottled sculpin, Cottus bairdi.
Brison, L.L. (2001)Experimental analysis of metabolic adaptation of Cottus carolinae in response to photoperiod and food availability
Burr, B.M., Adams, G.L., Krejca, J., Paul, R.J. and Warren, M.L. (2001)Troglomorphic sculpins of the Cottus carolinae species group in Perry County, Missouri: Distribution, external morphology and conservation status
Coombs, S., Braun, C.B. and Donovan, B. (2001)The orienting response of Lake Michigan mottled sculpin is mediated by canal neuromasts.
Adams, G. and Burr, B.M (2001)Troglomorphic Banded Sculpin (Cottus Carolinae) in Perry County, Missouri: Morphological variation and conservation status
Aley, T., Ashley, D.C., Elliott, W.R., McGlimsey, M., Weaver, D. and Beard, J. (2002)Conserving Missouri's caves and karst
Elliott, W.R. (2003)A guide to Missouri's cave life
Kanter, M.J. and Coombs, S. (2003)Rheotaxis and prey detection in uniform currents by Lake Michigan mottled sculpin (Cottus bairdi)
Robins, C.R. (2005)Cottus kanawhae, a new cottid fish from the New River System of Virginia and West Virginia
Adams, G. (2005)Morphology, genetics and physiology of a troglomorphic sculpin, Cottus carolinae
Kinziger, A.P., Wood, R.M. and Neely, D.A. (2005)Molecular systematics of the genus Cottus (Scorpaeniformes: Cottidae)
Niemiller, M.L., Glorioso, B.M. and Miller, B.T. (2006)An eastern and subterranean maximum size record of the banded sculpin, Cottus carolinae, from Tennessee
Kerfoot, J.R. and Schaefer, J.F. (2006)Ecomorphology and habitat utilization of Cottus species
Elliott, W.R. (2007)Zoogeography and biodiversity of Missouri cave and karst
Kinziger, A.P., Goodman, D.H. and Studebaker, R.S. (2007)Mitochondrial DNA variation in the Ozark Highland members of the Banded Sculpin Cottus carolinae complex
Aley, T., Aley, C., Moss, P. and Hertzler, T. (2008)Hydrogeological characteristics of delineated recharge areas for 40 biologically significant cave and spring systems in Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Illinois
Adams, G., Day, J., Gerken, J.E. and Johnson, C.R. (2008)Population ecology of the Grotto Sculpin, Cottus carolinae, in Perry County, Missouri
Johnson, C.R., Day, J.L. and Adams, G. (2008)Life history characteristics of Grotto Sculpin (Cottus carolinae) in cave and surface streams of Perry County, Missouri
Gerken, J.E. and Adams, G. (2008)Habitat use by Grotto Sculpin (Cottus carolinae), a troglomorphic fish in Perry County, Missouri
Day, J.L., Johnson, C.R., Gerken, J.E. and Adams, G. (2008)Population ecology of Grotto Sculpin (Cottus carolinae) in cave and resurgence streams
Fox, J.T., Adams, G.L., Sharum, M.and Steelman, K. (2010)Passive sampling of bioavailable organic chemicals in Perry County, Missouri cave streams
Adams, G., Burr, B.M., Day, J. and Starkey, D.E. (2013)Cottus specus, a new troglomophic species of Sculpin (Cottidae) from southeastern Missouri
Crabill, T., Simmons, B., Marquardt, S. and Salveter, A. (2013)Recovering aquatic life in Missouri
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (2013)Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants: Determination of endangered species status for the Grotto Sculpin (Cottus specus) throughout its range
Perry County Community Economic and Environment Committee (2013)Protecting our water to protect our community
Moss, P. (2013)Recharge area delineations and hazard and vulnerability mapping in Perry County, Missouri
Crites, J., and Schubert, H. (2013)Perry County karst project: Summary and future management implications for Grotto Sculpin.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (2013)U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists the Grotto Sculpin as endangered
Industrial Economics Incorporated (2013)Economic analysis of critical habitat designation for the Grotto Sculpin
Day, J., Starkey, D.E., Adams, G., Brummett, S. and Keeney, D. (2014)Population genetics of grotto sculpin (Cottus specus), a new cave-adapted fish species
Day, J., Starkey, D.E. and Gerken, J.E. (2014)Prevalence of parasitism in the Grotto Sculpin (Cottus specus), a new species of cave-adapted fish from southeastern Missouri, USA
Day, J., Gerken, J.E. and Adams, G. (2016)Population ecology and seasonal demography of endangered grotto sculpin (Cottus specus)
Fernholz, J. and Phelps, Q.E. (2016)Influence of PIT tags on growth and survival of Banded Sculpin (Cottus carolinae): Implications for endangered Grotto Sculpin (Cottus specus)
Ruppert, J.L.W., James, P.M.A., Taylor, E.B., Rudlofsem, T., Veillard, M., Davis, C.S., Watkinson, D. and Poesch, M.S. (2017)Riverscape genetic structure of a threatened and dispersal limited freshwater species, the Rocky Mountain Sculpin (Cottus sp.)
Gebhard, A.E and Perkin, J.S. (2017)Assessing riverscape-scale variation in fish life history using banded sculpin (Cottus carolinae)
Fernholz, J. (2017)Influence of PIT tags on growth and survival of Banded Sculpin (Cottus carolinae): Implications for endangered Grotto Sculpin (Cottus specus)
Baek, S.Y., Kang, J.H., Jo, S.H., Jang, J.E., Byeon, S.Y., Wang, J.H., Lee, H.G., Choi, J.K. and Lee, H.J. (2018)Contrasting life histories contribute to divergent patterns of genetic diversity and population connectivity in freshwater sculpin fishes
Wells, W.G., Johnson, T.C., Gebhard, A.E., Paine, R.T.R., Hix, L.A., Ferrell, H.N., Engle, A.N. and Perkin, J.S. (2018)March of the sculpin: measuring and predicting short‐term movement of banded sculpin Cottus carolinae
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (2018)Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants - Designation of Critical Habitat for the Grotto Sculpin (Cottus Specus)
Fernholz, J. (2018)Influence of Pit Tags on growth and survival of Banded Sculpin (Cottus carolinae): Implications for endangered Grotto Sculpin (Cottus Specus).
Niemiller, M.L., Taylor, S.J., Slay, M.E. and Hobbs, H.H. III (2019)Biodiversity in the United States and Canada
Chowning, M.E. (2020)Establishing a sampling protocol and investigating the life history of the federally endangered Grotto Sculpin (Cottus specus) in the karst systems of Perry County, Missouri