Genus Cottus (Noun)
Meaning
Type genus of the Cottidae: sculpins.
Classification
Nouns denoting animals.
Examples
- The genus Cottus is the most widely distributed and species-rich genus among the sculpins, with species found in both freshwater and brackish environments of the Northern Hemisphere.
- Sculpins of the genus Cottus are characterized by a characteristic head spination and gill membranes fused to the isthmus, distinguishing them from other cottid genera.
- Cottus spp., the genus Cottus, have traditionally been considered to be solely rheophilic, but recent discoveries indicate this might not hold true for all members of the genus.
- Genus Cottus sculpins can vary greatly in size and shape, with species ranging from the deep-bodied Cottus amblystomopsis to more slender species such as the Cottus rhotheus.
- In the context of Cottidae systematics, the genus Cottus is especially significant as it is the type genus of the family, lending many characteristics diagnostic for the group as a whole.