California Fish Species
|Scientific Name||Cottus pitensis|
Pit sculpins are found predominantly in streams with temperatures below 25°C and oxygen levels near saturation. These waterways include fast rocky streams, spring fed creeks, and large boulder filled rivers. Pit sculpins are usually found in swift currents in riffles or runs. In some rare cases Pit sculpins may share habitat with marbled and rough sculpins, and they are often found in association with rainbow trout, speckled dace, and Sacramento suckers. Pit sculpins feed mostly on aquatic insects throughout the day and night and may become aggressive at times. Peak feeding is typically in the early morning. Pit sculpins become sexually mature in their second year and the age-class population decreases with every passing year. The sculpins spawn in February through early May with most breeding occurring in late February and March. Male Pit sculpins develop dark breeding colors and an orange band on their dorsal fin. They entice females to lay eggs within their rock cave. Male Pit sculpins may fertilize the eggs of several females. The fertilized eggs stick to the substrate within the caches and eventually larval sculpins hatch, though they remain close to the cave for some time.
|Watershed||Goose Lake Watershed, Lower Pit Watershed, Upper Pit Watershed|
Please note, watersheds are at the USGS 8-digit Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) scale, so they often include a lot of sub-watersheds. If a species occurs in any sub-watershed within the HUC, the species appears within the HUC. Link to an EPA page that shows HUCs.