U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Grotto Sculpin Cottus specus

The grotto sculpin is federally listed as an endangered species. Endangered species are animals and plants that are in danger of becoming extinct. Threatened species are animals and plants that are likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future. Identifying, protecting, and restoring endangered and threatened species and their habitats is the primary objective of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s endangered species program. What is the Grotto Sculpin?

The grotto sculpin, a cave dwelling fish found only in Perry County, Photo by Brad Pobst, Missouri Department of Conservation Appearance: The grotto sculpin is Missouri, is an endangered species. a small, cave-dwelling fish that has characteristics similar to many animals that live in total darkness, such as reduced (sometimes are used, including silt, gravel, flow rapidly from the surface to absent) eyes and pale skin color. cobble, and bedrock. below-ground aquifers and cave streams. Sinkholes that have Range: The grotto sculpin is found Reproduction: Our knowledge of been modified to drain adjacent in an area of Missouri grotto sculpin life history is land further increase the potential characterized by thousands of limited, but young-of-the-year for contamination because runoff sinkholes and over 700 caves have been seen in spring and early enters underground streams (collectively called a “karst summer, indicating that adults without the benefit of being system”). It is restricted to five spawn in late winter to early filtered through natural cave systems and two surface spring. Females lay eggs that substrates. The absence of streams in Perry County, adhere to the underside of rocks adequate vegetated buffers Missouri. in flowing water. Nests contain around sinkholes is problematic approximately 200 eggs each and because such buffers filter Habitat: Grotto sculpin live in cave are guarded by adult males. contaminants and sediment before streams, springs, and surface water reaches the sinkhole. streams. Individuals migrate Feeding Habits: Grotto sculpin are between underground and carnivores that eat invertebrates, The grotto sculpin occurs in small aboveground habitats, with adults including isopods and amphipods. populations and lives in a specific found more often in the cave habitat that is found only in five portions and juveniles in surface Why is the Grotto Sculpin in cave systems in Perry County. springs and streams. Grotto Danger of Extinction? Like most other aquatic animals, sculpin use stream pools as well as it requires good water quality to areas under rocks that offer more Water quality in natural karst survive. Because of its low protection. Both pool and riffle systems is vulnerable to pollution numbers and limited range, the areas with a variety of substrates because contaminated water can loss of one or more populations can be harmful to the entire County Community Conservation (i.e., fertilizers, herbicides, and species. Two mass mortalities Plan.” The plan outlines detailed insecticides), recycling used car of grotto sculpin have occurred conservation measures that oil, and properly disposing of paint since the early 2000s. Evidence address threats to grotto sculpin and other toxic household indicates that both events were habitats. products. caused by point-source pollution of aboveground waters that drained Sinkhole Cleanup: Debris and Encourage and Implement the use of to underground aquatic habitats. trash have been removed from agricultural practices that Water pollution not only harms multiple sinkholes within the minimize the erosion of topsoil and grotto sculpin directly but also the recharge zones of cave streams runoff of pesticides and cave stream ecosystems and occupied by grotto sculpin. Clean- fertilizers into sinkholes, rivers, aquifer underlying the Perry up will continue as a priority and streams. County karst system. action identified in the Perry County Conservation Plan. Join a conservation group to What is being done to prevent support programs that advocate extinction of the Grotto Implementation of Best Management for good water quality or volunteer Sculpin? Practices (BMPs): Following BMPs at a local nature center, zoo, or around sinkholes, such as national wildlife refuge. Listing: We added the grotto installing and maintaining sculpin to the U.S. List of adequate vegetated buffers, Endangered and Threatened reduces contamination of cave Wildlife and Plants as an streams. endangered species so that it receives protections provided Research: Researchers are by the Endangered Species Act. continuing to study the grotto Listing a species also increases sculpin’s life history as well as the priority of the species for threats to water quality. funds, grants, and recovery opportunities. What can I do to help prevent the extinction of species? Perry County Conservation Plan: Perry County officials and other Protect water quality by partners developed the “Perry minimizing use of lawn chemicals

Photo by Brad Pobst, Missouri Department of Conservation U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service This grotto sculpin was captured during a survey. Researchers cannot http://www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered survey much of its habitat because it lives in inaccessible underground streams. September 2013