The Systematics of the Prickly Sculpin, Cottus asper Richardson, a Polytypic Species: Part I. Synonymy, Nomenclatural History, and Distribution

Abstract

The prickly sculpin, Cottus asper, is a geographically widespread, polytypic species characteristically represented by very prickly, nonmigratory, freshwater spawning " inland" forms, and less prickly, catadromous, brackish-water spawning "coastal" forms. Part I , the first contri bution in a series on the systematics of this species, presents a synonymy complete for the period 1836-1936, with a resume of the most important citations from 1936 to 1965. A nomenclatural history of the species is given. The distributional range is listed and also presented in illustration.