Candidate species are plants and animals which the Service believes meet the criteria for listing under the Endangered Species Act but which have not yet been proposed as endangered or threatened. Candidates are not protected by the Endangered Species Act, but they often become of the focus of conservation efforts among resource managers and other partners to address the threats they face.
The grotto sculpin, found only in eastern Missouri, has been given a listing priority of 2. Candidates receive a listing priority based on the magnitude of threat they face, and how immediate that threat is. Those species facing the highest, most immediate threats are given the highest priority for listing. Before a candidate can be listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act, the Service must publish a proposal to list, obtain public comment, and review all available information before determining whether listing is needed.
About two-and-a-half inches long, the grotto sculpin lives only in five cave streams in Perry County, Mo. Biologists believe that only a few thousand fish make up the entire population. Threats facing the grotto sculpin include degraded water quality in its cave stream habitat. The areas where the grotto sculpin lives are known for their unique "karst" topography
