| Main Ref. | Lemoine, M., M.K. Young, K.S. Mckelvey, L. Eby, K.L. Pilgrim and M.K. Schwartz, 2014 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks | Mottling is variable and consists of at least two forms: 1. One form with black-brown mottling on a brown-olive background mainly above the lateral line that stops under the soft dorsal fin; weak saddling is occasionally present; and pectoral fins with faint black-brown contours running vertically. 2. The other form lacks mottling or spotting over the body and the background color can be light brown, rust orange, or yellow. Both types have a dark blotchy marking near the base of the caudal rays and the first dorsal fin is generally dorsally darkened (Ref. 94998). |
| Striking features | |
| Body shape lateral | |
| Cross section | |
| Dorsal head profile | |
| Type of eyes | |
| Type of mouth/snout | |
| Position of mouth | |
| Type of scales | |
| Diagnosis |
Distinguished from all congeners in the upper Columbia River basin by the lack of a second preopercular spine, palatine tooth patches smaller and separate from the vomerine tooth patch, and axillary prickling. Differs from Cottus cognatus, C. confusus , C. hubbsi, and C. rhotheus by the absence of a second preopercular spine; and from C. cf. bairdii and C. beldingii by the presence of axillary prickling. Furthermore, this species possesses palatine tooth patches smaller than the vomerine tooth patch and the patches are separated (vs. palatine tooth patches equal to or larger in size than the vomerine tooth patch in Cottus cf. bairdii; and generally, palatine teeth absent in Cottus beldingii) (Ref. 94998). |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | |
| Pored lateral line scales | |
| Scales in lateral series | |
| Scale rows above lateral line | |
| Scale rows below lateral line | |
| Scales around caudal peduncle | |
| Barbels | |
| Gill clefts (sharks/rays only) | |
| Gill rakers | |
| on lower limb | |
| on upper limb | |
| total | |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total |
| Attributes | no striking attributes |
| Fins number | |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal |
| Ventral | |
| Spines total | 7 - 9 |
| Soft-rays total | 17 - 20 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | more or less truncate |
| Fins number | |
| Spines total | |
| Soft-rays total | 13 - 15 |
| Pectoral | Attributes |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays 13 - 14 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes |
| Position abdominal behind origin of D1 | |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays 3 - 4 |