Fourhorn sculpin COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 11

Summary of Status Report

Very little is known about the population status of the post-glacial freshwater form of the fourhorn sculpin, Myoxocephalus quadricornis. The species is restricted to at least 23 lakes in the Canadian Arctic (Appendix I) and the only lake from which some information is known of this species is Garrow Lake. The resident population may be indirectly threatened by pollution from a nearby lead-zinc mine that has virtually eliminated the primary producer population, leading to a breakdown in the food chain. Dickman and co-workers expect this population of sculpins to become extirpated within the next twenty years, but anecdotal evidence indicates the population is abundant. Though little is known about the populations found in other high Arctic lakes, they are probably genetically unique and may be sensitive to natural and anthropogenic disturbance. More detailed information is required on the distribution, abundance, biology and ecology of the freshwater form, which is extremely lacking compared to what is known about the marine form.

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