Pygmy Sculpin | Cottus paulus

Status: IUCN: Critically Endangered; USFWS: Threatened (1998)

Threats: Climate change, endemism, and pollution* (What do these terms mean?)

Native Range: Coldwater Spring in the Coosa River System, AL

Spawning Habitat Preferences: Year-round spawners (with a peak from April to August) in a single large spring pond with high flow; lay clutches of eggs under medium-sized rocks

CFI Status: Propagated at CFI from 2018-Present for propagation protocols,** holding an assurance colony, and lab-based toxicity research. (What do these terms mean?)

In Partnership With: Mobile District Corps of Engineers; Tetra Tech; US Department of the Army; USFWS

*Rising concentrations of trichloroethylene [TCE] has contaminated their native spring due to its being a major water source for the surrounding area.

**Propagation protocols are being developed to work towards preventing species extinction