The Pygmy Sculpin, Cottus pygmaeus, was described by Williams (1968), as a new species endemic to Coldwater Spring, Coosa River drainage, Calhoun County, Alabama. The initial literature search to determine the availability of the name pygmaeus for a species of the genus Cottus failed to reveal the trinomen Cottus quadricornis pygmaeus Lönnberg (1932). The nominal subspecies quadricornis pygmaeus was subsequently placed in the synonymy of Myoxocephalus quadricornis onegensis by Berg (1933:689–690). Because the Latin name pygmaeus is preoccupied in the genus Cottus, the replacement name Cottus paulus is proposed. The Latin name paulus means “little.” The name paulus was chosen for the pygmy sculpin because it is the smallest known North American species (maximum size 38 mm SL) of Cottus. The adoption of a replacement name for the pygmy sculpin will not affect its conservation status as a listed threatened species under provisions of the Federal Endangered Species Act.