About Cottus girardi Robins, 1961
The Potomac sculpin (Cottus girardi Robins, 1961) has a large head and large mouth, with eyes positioned on the upper part of the head. It has fan-shaped pectoral fins, connected dorsal fins, 26 or fewer lateral-line pores, four pelvic fins and fifteen pectoral fins, and colored spots on its chin. This species reaches an average length of 7.8 centimeters (3.1 inches), with a maximum recorded length of 14 centimeters (5.5 inches).
The Potomac sculpin inhabits the James River drainage in Virginia, and the Potomac River drainage system across Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. It occupies small to medium-sized streams, and is relatively tolerant of warm water. Habitat preferences differ by life stage and sex: males typically live in areas with silt or aquatic plant growth, females live in faster-flowing streams, and juveniles occupy streams with very little current.
