Neocottus thermalis is a species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. It was described by Valentina Grigorievna Sideleva in 2002.Sideleva, V. G., 2002 [ref. 26019] Fish fauna of the area of high hydrothermal activity (Frolikha Bight, Lake Baikal), with the description of a new species of the genus Neocottus (Abyssocottidae). Voprosy Ikhtiologii v. 42 (no. 2): 274-278. It is a freshwater, deep water-dwelling fish endemic to Lake Baikal, in Russia. It is known to dwell at a depth range of .
The IUCN classifies this species as Critically Endangered because it is known only from the vicinity of Frolikha Bay in northern Lake Baikal, a very restricted range, and is threatened by pollution, water extraction and waste-water treatment.
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