Alpine bullhead
(Cottus poecilopus)
The alpine bullhead or Siberian bullhead (Cottus poecilopus) is a species of freshwater fish in the family Cottidae of sculpins.
It is found in northern and central Europe and Asia in upland and coldwater streams and lakes in mountain regions.
It is found in China, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, North Korea, Moldova, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, and Ukraine.
Streams in the Carpathians draining to Danube, Dniestr, Vistula and Odra. Baltic Sea basin, especially in northern Sweden and Finland between 64 and 68°N, central Finnish lakes area, a few streams in southern Finland and northern Poland, Lake Ladoga and southern Lake Onega basins, a few lakes in northern Germany (extirpated), Lake Hañcza in Poland and Skjernaa drainage in Denmark.
In Siberia from River Ob eastward to River Lena. Absent in rivers draining to Baltic Sea south of Iijöki drainage in central Finland and in rivers draining to the White and Barents Seas. Cottus populations from the Kolyma, Amur and Korean drainages usually identified as Cottus poecilopus belong to a different species.
Description
The alpine bullhead has a large broad head and tapering body, large fins, and a rounded tail. It is light brown mottled with a darker color. The eyes are located near the top of the head. This fish resembles the European bullhead and can occur in the same streams with it. It can be told from the European bullhead by the fact that the innermost ray of its pelvic fins is shorter than the outermost ray rather than being of similar length. The pelvic fins are spotted with a darker color and appear banded when bunched, unlike the European bullhead clear fins. When the fish rests on the bottom, the pectoral fins flare out resembling wings.
The alpine bullhead is usually about 5 to 8 cm (2.0 to 3.1 in) long with a maximum of 12 cm (5 in).
