| Main Ref. | Kinziger, A.P. and R.M. Wood, 2010 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | |
| Body shape lateral | |
| Cross section | |
| Dorsal head profile | |
| Type of eyes | |
| Type of mouth/snout | |
| Position of mouth | |
| Type of scales | |
| Diagnosis |
Distinguished from all other congeners, except Cottus hypselurus and Cottus caeruleomentum, by the blue chin and belly on spawning males. Differs from Cottus hypselurus by dorsal fin spines 8-9 (versus 6-7); pectoral fin rays 16-17 (versus 13-15); pigmentation of the ventral surface of the peritoneum weak (versus moderate to strong ); dorsal-fin union moderate to wide versus slight to moderate. Can be differentiated from Cottus caeruleomentum by caudal base band notched (versus non-notched); dorsal fins moderately to widely connected (versus slightly connected); pectoral fin rays 16-17 (versus 12-15); ventral surface of peritoneum weakly pigmented (versus moderately to strongly pigmented) (Ref. 83416). |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | |
| Pored lateral line scales | 19 - 29 |
| Scales in lateral series | |
| Scale rows above lateral line | |
| Scale rows below lateral line | |
| Scales around caudal peduncle | |
| Barbels | |
| Gill clefts (sharks/rays only) | |
| Gill rakers | |
| on lower limb | |
| on upper limb | |
| total | |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total |
| Attributes | no striking attributes |
| Fins number | 2 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal |
| Ventral | |
| Spines total | 7 - 9 |
| Soft-rays total | 15 - 19 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | more or less truncate |
| Fins number | |
| Spines total | |
| Soft-rays total | 12 - 14 |
| Pectoral | Attributes |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays 13 - 17 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes |
| Position abdominal behind origin of D1 | |
| Spines 1 | |
| Soft-rays 3 - 4 |