In the Basin, riffle sculpin are most common in headwater streams where riffles are the predominant habitat. If riffle sculpin and prickly sculpin occupy the same stream, riffle sculpin typically prefer the cool, upper reaches of streams while prickly sculpin can be found in the warmer, lower reaches.
Fun Fact In California, populations are increasingly isolated from one another and subject to local extirpation; the species is quite vulnerable to habitat changes that reduce flows or increase temperatures.