Microhabitat Utilization, Feeding Periodicity, Home Range and Population Size of the Banded Sculpin, Cottus carolinae

Abstract
Underwater observations were used to examine the microhabitat utilization, feeding periodicity, home range and population size of Cottus carolinae, the banded sculpin, in the Little River of eastern Tennessee [USA]. Most sculpins resided under rocks during the day, but on tops of rocks at night. Analyses of the gut contents indicated that C. carolinae fed primarily at night. Underwater counts of individually marked sculpins suggested these fish have a small average home range, with a maximum of 47 m2. Based on a mark-recapture enclosure study and the Jolly-Seber mark-recapture method, mean density estimates for C. carolinae were 0.4 and 0.9 fish/m2, respectively.