Cottus rhenanus
{{Short description|Species of fish}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Cottus gobio (in situ).jpg
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| taxon = Cottus rhenanus
| authority = Freyhof, Kottelat & Nolte, 2005
| synonyms =
}}
Cottus rhenanus is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. It is found in France, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. It inhabits the Rhine and Meuse river drainages. It reaches a maximum length of 10.0 cm.{{FishBase species |genus= Cottus|species= rhenanus| month = February | year = 2014}} It prefers streams with clear, cool, moderate to swift water and stone substrate.{{cite journal | author1 = Pim Lemmers | author2 = Mark Groen | author3 = Ben H.J.M. Crombaghs | author4 = Rob E.M.B. Gubbels | author5 = Thomas de Krom | author6 = Frank van Langevelde | author7 = Gerard van der Velde | author8 = Rob S.E.W. Leuven | name-list-style = and | year =2023 | title = Population recovery and occurrence of the endemic Rhine sculpin (Cottus rhenanus) | journal = Knowledge and Management of Aquatic Ecosystems | volume = 424 | pages = 1–13}} Here, it mostly occurs in the shallow parts of streams. This species was described as a separate species from the European bullhead (C. gobio) in 2005 by Jörg Freyhof, Maurice Kottelat and Arne W. Nolte.{{cite journal | author1 = Jörg Freyhof | author2 = Maurice Kottelat | author3 = Arne Nolte | name-list-style = and | year =2005 | title = Taxonomic diversity of European Cottus with description of eight new species (Teleostei: Cottidae) | journal = Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters | volume = 16 | pages = 107–172}} The specific name rhenatus means belonging to Rhenus, the Latin name of the River Rhine.{{cite web | url = https://etyfish.org/perciformes20/ | title = Order Perciformes: Suborder Cottoidea: Infraorder Cottales: Family Cottidae (Sculpins) | work = The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database | editor1= Christopher Scharpf | editor2 = Kenneth J. Lazara | name-list-style = amp |date = 22 October 2022 | access-date = 19 January 2023 | publisher = Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara}}