Alpine bullhead
| Cottus poecilopus | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Scorpaeniformes |
| Family: | Cottidae |
| Genus: | Cottus |
| Species: | C. poecilopus |
| Binomial name | |
|
Cottus poecilopus Heckel, 1837 |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Cottus poecilopterus |
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Cottus poecilopterus
The alpine bullhead or Siberian bullhead (Cottus poecilopus) is a species of freshwater fish in the Cottidae family of sculpins. It is found in Belarus, China, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, North Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, and Ukraine. This fish is listed as being of "Least Concern" by the IUCN.
The alpine bullhead has a large broad head and tapering body, large fins and a rounded tail. It is light brown mottled with darker colour. The eyes are located near the top of the head. This fish resembles the European bullhead and can occur in 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 darker colour and appear banded when bunched unlike the European bullhead's 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).
The alpine bullhead is found in northern and central Europe in upland and coldwater streams and lakes in mountain regions.
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Wikipedia