Cyprinodon nevadensis
Encyclopedia
Cyprinodon nevadensis is a species of pupfish
in the genus Cyprinodon
. The species is also known as the Amargosa pupfish, but that name may also refer to one subspecies, Cyprinodon nevadensis amargosae. All six subspecies are or were endemic to very isolated locations in the Mojave Desert
of California
and Nevada
.
Pupfish
Pupfish are a group of small killifish belonging to ten genera of the family Cyprinodontidae of ray-finned fish. All pupfish are especially noted for being found in extreme and isolated situations, in various parts of North America, South America, and the Caribbean region...
in the genus Cyprinodon
Cyprinodon
Cyprinodon is a genus of small killifish belonging to the family Cyprinodontidae of ray-finned fish.-Species:* Whitefin pupfish, Cyprinodon albivelis Minckley & Miller, 2002.* Potosi pupfish, Cyprinodon alvarezi Miller, 1976....
. The species is also known as the Amargosa pupfish, but that name may also refer to one subspecies, Cyprinodon nevadensis amargosae. All six subspecies are or were endemic to very isolated locations in the Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
.
Subspecies
- Cyprinodon nevadensis amargosae, the Amargosa River pupfish or Amargosa Pupfish, was originally endemic to two sections of the lower Amargosa RiverAmargosa RiverThe Amargosa River is an intermittent waterway, long, in southern Nevada and eastern California in the United States. It drains a high desert region, the Amargosa Valley in the Amargosa Desert northwest of Las Vegas, into the Mojave Desert, and finally into Death Valley where it disappears into...
. In 1940, a population was introduced at River Springs in Mono County, CaliforniaMono County, CaliforniaMono County is a county located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of California, to the east of the Sierra Nevada between Yosemite National Park and Nevada. As of the 2010 census, the population was 14,202, up from 12,853 at the 2000 census...
. - Cyprinodon nevadensis calidae, the Tecopa pupfish, was declared extinctExtinctionIn biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
in 1981. - Cyprinodon nevadensis mionectes, the Ash Meadows pupfish or Ash Meadows Amargosa pupfish, is listed as endangeredEndangered speciesAn endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
under the Endangered Species ActEndangered Species ActThe Endangered Species Act of 1973 is one of the dozens of United States environmental laws passed in the 1970s. Signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 28, 1973, it was designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of economic growth and...
. It is limited to Ash Meadows National Wildlife RefugeAsh Meadows National Wildlife RefugeThe Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is a protected wildlife refuge, administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, located west-northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada, in southern Nye County...
in Nevada. - Cyprinodon nevadensis nevadensis, the Saratoga Springs pupfish, was originally limited to Saratoga SpringsSaratoga Springs (Death Valley)Saratoga Springs is a desert oasis located in southern Death Valley National Park in California. The wetland lies at the southern tip of the Ibex Hills, on the floor of Death Valley and just northeast of the Amargosa River. Several springs overflow into pools totaling 6.6 acres in area, making the...
in Death Valley National ParkDeath Valley National ParkDeath Valley National Park is a national park in the U.S. states of California and Nevada located east of the Sierra Nevada in the arid Great Basin of the United States. The park protects the northwest corner of the Mojave Desert and contains a diverse desert environment of salt-flats, sand dunes,...
. A population was introduced at Lake Tuendae in Zzyzx, CaliforniaZzyzx, CaliforniaZzyzx, California , formerly Camp Soda and Soda Springs, is a settlement in San Bernardino County, California. It is the former site of the Zzyzx Mineral Springs and Health Spa and now the site of the Desert Studies Center...
, but it may not have survived there. - Cyprinodon nevadensis pectoralis, the Warm Springs pupfish, is also listed as endangered under the ESA. It is restricted to six springs near Devils Hole in Nevada.
- Cyprinodon nevadensis shoshoneShoshone pupfishThe Shoshone pupfish, Cyprinodon nevadensis shoshone, is characterized by large scales and a "slab-sided," narrow, slender body, with the arch of the ventral contour much less pronounced than the dorsal...
, the Shoshone pupfish, is listed as a Species of ConcernSpecies of ConcernIn wildlife conservation, Species of Concern is an informal term, not defined in the federal Endangered Species Act. The term commonly refers to species that are declining or appear to be in need of concentrated conservation actions. Many agencies and organizations maintain lists of these at-risk...
by the United States Fish and Wildlife ServiceUnited States Fish and Wildlife ServiceThe United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...
. The fish is limited to Shoshone Spring, near the town of Shoshone, CaliforniaShoshone, CaliforniaShoshone is a census-designated place in Inyo County, California, United States. Shoshone is located on the Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad east of Epaulet Peak, at an elevation of 1585 feet . The population was 31 at the 2010 census, down from 52 at the 2000 census.The town was founded in 1910...
, and possibly parts of the Amargosa River.