Shorthead sculpins inhabit cold and cool water streams embedded with gravel-rocky substrates.

They are benthic invertivores meaning they eat primarily aquatic insects, small fish, or trout and salmon eggs.

They spend the days sleeping under rocks and prey on the small invertebrates, at night, making them nocturnal hunters.

Main threats to the species are extended periods of low flows and runoff from mining and industrial activities.

Researchers have found that largemouth bass, walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, and pumpkinseed pose a moderate to high ecological threat to the shorthead sculpin.