Cottus kanawhae, C. Richard Robins, 2005

C. Richard Robins, 2005, Cottus kanawhae, a new cottid fish from the New River System of Virginia and West Virginia., Zootaxa 987, pp. 1-6 : 1-5

Cottus kanawhae , new species

Kanawha sculpin

(Figures 1, Tables 1-2)

Cottus bairdii subspecies, Burton and Odum, 1945 (local distribution in Sinking Creek and neighboring streams in the Kanawha system).

Cottus carolinae , Lee, et al., 1980: 807 (in part, records from the Kanawha River System). Williams and Howell, 1979 (in part; data labeled New River drainage).

Cottus c. carolinae , Jenkins and Burkhead, 1994: 666 (Fish 197), 667 (all references to Kanawha sculpin), 669 (Map 133; open circles represent C. kanawhae ).

Holotype: CU 25655, adult male, 80.9 mm SL, Virginia, Giles Co., creek in Tony's Cave, a tributary of Sinking Creek, 24 June 1952.

Paratypes: Virginia. CU 22832 (13, 17-90 mm SL), taken with the holotype. CU 21845 (4, 94-112) Craig Co., trib., Sinking Creek, 6.4 mi. NE of Newport on rte. 42, 21 June 1952. CU 21946 (5, 46-64) Craig Co., Sinking Creek between Simmonsville and Hoffman, 21 April 1952. CU 22085 (2, 49-80) and CU 22833 (31, 29-89) Craig Co., Sinking Creek, 11.8 mi. NE of Newport, 24 April and 21 June 1952. CU 22087 (2, 95- 103) Craig Co., Sinking Creek, 7.5 mi. N of Blacksburg on rte. 42, 21 April 1952. CU 22835 (1, 87) Giles Co., Little Stony Creek, 2.3 mi. NE of Pembroke, 16 June 1952. CU 22840 (11,69-110) Craig Co., trib., Sinking Creek, 7.2 mi. NE of Newport on rte. 42 at Huffman Store. CU 24397 (1, 60) Wythe Co., Reed Creek, 1 mi. SW of Wytheville, 31 March 1940. USNM 162191 (6, 23-73) Wythe Co., Short's Creek, ca 0.5 mi. NW of Popular Camp, just E of Jackson's Ferry on rte. 52. West Virginia. CU 12453 (19, 33-87) Monroe Co., Turkey Creek, trib., New River at Willow Bend, 24 Sept. 1947.

Additional material not designated as types: Virginia. CU 20447 (6, 21-110) Montgomery Co., Tom's Creek, 2.5 mi. NW of Blacksburg on rte. 624. CU 22081 (2, 48-67) Giles Co., Spruce Run, 3.5 mi. W of Newport, 13 Oct. 1951. CU 25317 (3, 16-30) Giles Co., mouth of Spruce Run at Goodwin's Ferry, 18 June 1952, CU 25351 (1, 29) Giles Co., Sinking Creek, 2.7 mi. E of Newport on rte. 700, 13 June 1952. CU 25786 (30, 39-68) Giles Co., Sinking Creek, 5.2 mi. SE of Pembroke on US 460, 25 Aug. 1953. USNM 120114 (1, 71) Giles Co., Tom's Cave near Newport, 4 Sept. 1942. West Virginia. UMMZ 95241 (10, 32-70) Monroe Co., Turkey Creek below dam, 9 Sept. 1928.

Diagnosis. Pectoral-fin rays usually 17 (15-18). Lateral line incomplete, typically not extending beyond the point of deflection; pores usually 26-29 (24-34). Chin pigmentation reduced, the mottling usually restricted to the rami of the jaws and front of the chin, rarely extending back onto the anterior part of the isthmus. Anterior chin pore double. Dark bands on the body not sharply defined, irregular, extending ventrad only slightly below the lateral line.

Description. Frequency distributions of fin-rays and lateral-line pores are given in Table 1. The area in front of the pelvic fins, most of the isthmus and the branchiostegal membranes are unpigmented or have only a light sprinkling of melanophores. Young and juveniles have the anterior back and sides prominently spotted; this spotting disappearing in specimens longer than 20 mm. Dorsal fin narrowly edged with red in adults. Anal papilla not enlarged in males. The lateral and supratemporal canals consist of 5 pores each, the supratemporal of 3 pores. These are arranged as described for C. girardi by Robins (1961: 309). The infraorbital canal has 9 pores corresponding to pores 2-10 in C. girardi . The preoperulomandibular canal has 11 pores; canals are not connected on the chin.

Selected proportional measurements are given in Table 2. Preopercle with 3-4 spines, the upper one best developed and slightly curving dorsally, the next 2 smaller and projecting ventrally. A fourth spine, if present, is usually a small bony protuberance. Dentition well developed, the palatine tooth patches abutting the vomer and distinctly longer than the greatest dimension of the vomer. Premaxillary and dentary teeth well developed, depressible, and not joined medially. Body prickling variable but always with at least a patch of prickles mesial to the pectoral fin.

Comparisons. Cottus kanawhae is a member of the Cottus carolinae species group as defined by Robins (1955). The Midlands Race of C. carolinae was discussed by Williams and Robins (1970), who presented frequency distributions of fin-ray and lateral-line pore counts in Tables 1 and 2. Cottus kanawhae differs in having a distinctly lower lateral-line pore count (mean 28.0 vs. 32.9). Also, the dark bands on the body are darker, sharply defined and extend lower on the body in C. carolinae . This is easily seen by contrasting Fish 196 and Fish 197 in Jenkins and Burkhead (1994:666). Also, the mottling on the chin is bolder and more extensive in C. carolinae . C. kanawhae differs from C. girardi in having a more extensive lateral line (mean 28.0 vs. 21.4 pores) and more pectoral rays (mean 16.8 vs. 15.0), and in having the two preoperculomandibular canals separate, not sharing a single median chin pore. Also, the mottling on the chin is more extensive in C. girardi . C. kanawhae occurs with C. b. bairdii in the New River system. Cottus bairdii is more slender throughout, its chin is uniformly pigmented rather than mottled, it has fewer pectoral rays (usually 15), and has fewer pores in the lateral line (usually fewer than 26). Also the preopercular armature is less developed in C. bairdii ; spines other than the main (upper) one are mere rudiments or absent. Williams and Howell (1979) separated data on specimens of C. carolinae from the New River System from those from Buckeye Creek Cave (also in the New River System). The Buckeye Creek specimens differ strikingly and are not here identified with C. kanawhae . Jenkins and Burkhead (1994: 665) regarded the albino specimen as a different species but did not comment on the other Buckeye Creek material.

Range. Cottus kanawhae is restricted to the New River System of Virginia and West Virginia. Jenkins and Burkhead (1994) show the distribution of C. kanawhae as open circles on map 133, labeled C. carolinae subspecies. The map includes all stations listed above plus additional material not reported on here.

Habitat. Cottus kanawhae prefers the rocky areas of limestone streams and, like C. carolinae , abounds in cave streams. Restriction of habitat during the breeding season, if any, is unknown. During other seasons, there are no obvious ecological distinctions between C. kanawhae and C. b. bairdii .

Etymology: The species is named for the Kanawha River System.