Abstract
The scientific name Cottus kazika has been used for over a century as valid for the catadromous fourspine sculpin endemic to Japan. However, recent DNA sequence analyses have indicated a sister relationship between two catadromous species, so-called C. kazika and Trachidermus fasciatus with a great phylogenetic divergence, separated from a monophyletic freshwater spawning clade including the other Cottus species and Baikalian sculpins. Morphological, life-historical, ecological, and karyological characteristics have also suggested that the fourspine sculpin so-called C. kazika is neither a member of Cottus nor Trachidermus. Therefore, the fourspine sculpin is transferred to the genus Rheopresbe. The genus and R. kazika are re-described. The genus Rheopresbe is discriminated from related genus Trachidermus by not having bony ridges on both nape and cheeks and also by presence of entopterygoid, and from the genus Cottus by having teeth on palatines and four spines on preopercle ridges.
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