The banded sculpin (Cottus carolinae) is a freshwater fish dwelling mostly in small to moderate sized streams in areas of swift current.

Young and juvenile C. carolinae can mainly be found in pools, riffles, and other shallow habitats while adults tend to prefer deeper waters.

They have a broad head which rather quickly narrows into a slim body, giving them the appearance of a tadpole reaching adulthood.

The wide-ranging species occurs in eastern North America west of the Appalachians and south of the Ohio River Valley.

C. carolinae partake in size-specific habitat segregation, with the majority of adults in the pools of streams and rivers with the young-of-the-year inhabiting the riffles.

[2] Because of their flexible feeding habits, diet of C. carolinae varies with habitat, and they consume invertebrates whose own presence is determined by the relative availability of food sources such as algae and detritus.

[12] The greatest risk of predation for larger C. carolinae is posed by piscivorous mammals, reptiles, and birds, which lead to the habitat shift from shallow riffles to deeper pools into adulthood.

Though some studies have been done to determine the effects of siltation and mining-related metal concentrations, there are currently no large conservation efforts in place for Cottus carolinae due to its absence from any threatened or endangered species lists.

In the future, human impact can be reduced by managing the effects of farming on siltation and devising a way to prevent run-off water containing mining-related metals from flowing into streams and rivers.