Tag Archives: Cottidae

Cottus echinatus Bailey & Bond

Utah Lake Sculpin (Cottus echinatus)

Described in 1963, the Utah Lake Sculpin was restricted to Lake Utah, a shallow freshwater lake in Utah, USA

The species is thought to have died out due to a severe drought in the 1920s and 1930s that led to a rapid fall of the water levels, followed by a cold winters in which the lake was freezing resulting in a congestion of the remaining fish in a few open spots, resulting in food shortages and lack of oxygen.

However, during the same years, the water quality had apparently significantly worsen due to the entry of waste water by agriculture etc..

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The last Utah Lake Sculpin was caught in 1928.

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edited: 02.08.2022