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Home/Species/ Owens Pupfish

Cyprinodon radiosus

Miller, 1948

Owens Pupfish

G1Critically Imperiled Found in 35 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G1Critically ImperiledGlobal Rank
EndangeredIUCN
HighThreat Impact
Owens pupfish (Cyprinodon radiosus). Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Public Domain (U.S. Government Work), via ECOS.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, https://www.usa.gov/government-works
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.104524
Element CodeAFCNB02090
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNEndangered
Endemicendemic to a single state or province
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderCyprinodontiformes
FamilyCyprinodontidae
GenusCyprinodon
Other Common Names
Owens pupfish (EN)
Concept Reference
Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott. 1991. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 20. 183 pp.
Taxonomic Comments
See Echelle and Dowling (1992) for a phylogenetic analysis of mtDNA of Cyprinodon in the Death Valley System, California and Nevada; apparently there are two divergent clades, one including C. radiosus and C. macularius, and the other including C. nevadensis, C. salinus, C. diabolis, and C. fontinalis (Guzman Basin, Mexico). See Echelle and Echelle (1993) for an allozyme perspective on mtDNA variation and further phylogenetic analyses.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodLegacy Rank calculation - Excel v3.1x
Review Date2013-09-03
Change Date1996-09-20
Edition Date2013-09-03
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Threat ImpactHigh
Range Extent100-250 square km (about 40-100 square miles)
Number of Occurrences1 - 5
Rank Reasons
Once thought to be extinct, this fish exists only in a few small refugia within its native range in eastern California; encroachment of vegetation into water is a problem in some areas; potential threats include dewatering of habitat, predation by and competition with introduced fishes, and stochastic factors.
Range Extent Comments
This pupfish is endemic to the Owens Valley, California, from Fish Slough and its springs (Mono County) near Bishop downstream to Owens Lake (Inyo County), including springs around the lake (Moyle 2002, USFWS 2009). It is now confined to several special refuges in the Owens Valley (Bolster 1990, Moyle 2002), including three in Fish Slough (BLM Spring, BLM Ponds, and Marvin's Marsh), Mule Springs, Warm Springs, and Well 368 (USFWS 2009).
Occurrences Comments
This species is represented by four occurrences (one including 3 subpopulations) (USFWS 2009). As of the early 2000s, the species was regarded as stable in only two refuges (Moyle 2002).
Threat Impact Comments
Population decline was due to water diversion for agricultural and municipal uses and subsequent habitat alteration (loss of seasonally flooded shallows along the Owens River), and competition with and predation by introduced species. Current threats include introduced species (largemouth bass [which eliminated pupfish from the Owens Valley Native Fishes Sanctuary and BLM Spring; Moyle 2002], mosquitofish, bullfrogs, crayfish) and encroaching vegetation (cattails, tules, and other emergent plants). All populations are in small, artificial situations, vulnerable to stochastic fluctuations. These threats are occurring at all four of the existing pupfish populations and at all locations identified in the recovery plan for future introductions. Future introductions are not likely to be successful unless these threats are eliminated or reduced from those areas (USFWS 2009).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

This pupfish was once abundant in shallow, clear, warm (about 10-25 C) sloughs, spring pools, irrigation ditches, marshes with emergent bulrushes and Chara mats, and flooded pastures along the Owens River (Lee et al. 1980, Moyle 2002). Now it occurs mostly in deep pools and shallows of artificially created refugia (Bolster 1990). It needs good quality water, aquatic vegetation, and a silt- or sand-covered bottom. Males establish spawning territories in open areas close to shore; females stay in vegetation and emerge only to spawn; spawning substrate includes silty bottoms, submerged plants, algal clumps, rocks, or crevices, at depths up to 2 meters (Moyle 2002). Larvae and juveniles stay close to the substrate (Moyle 2002).

Ecology

Occurs in small schools. Populations fluctuate considerably.

Reproduction

Spawning may begin as early as January (J. B. Mire, pers. comm.) and extends through summer. Eggs hatch in 7-10 days. May breed before age of 1 year (Moyle 1976, Matthews and Moseley 1990).
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLAND
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN1
ProvinceRankNative
CaliforniaS2Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
7 - Natural system modifications——Insignificant/negligible or past
7.2 - Dams & water management/use———
7.3 - Other ecosystem modifications———
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesPervasive (71-100%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases—Serious - slight—
8.2 - Problematic native species/diseases———

—

Roadless Areas (35)
California (32)
AreaForestAcres
Andrews Mtn.Inyo National Forest9,912
Benton RangeInyo National Forest9,637
Birch CreekInyo National Forest28,816
Black CanyonInyo National Forest32,421
Boundary Peak (CA)Inyo National Forest210,884
Boundary Peak (CA)Inyo National Forest210,884
ButtermilkInyo National Forest542
Coyote NorthInyo National Forest11,932
Coyote SoutheastInyo National Forest53,159
Deep WellsInyo National Forest7,681
Dexter CanyonInyo National Forest17,053
Dexter CanyonInyo National Forest17,053
Excelsior (CA)Inyo National Forest45,607
Excelsior (CA)Inyo National Forest45,607
Glass MountainInyo National Forest52,867
Glass MountainInyo National Forest52,867
HortonInyo National Forest5,717
HortonInyo National Forest5,717
NessieInyo National Forest830
Nevahbe RidgeInyo National Forest302
North LakeInyo National Forest2,406
PaiuteInyo National Forest58,712
Rock Creek WestInyo National Forest3,626
SherwinInyo National Forest3,140
Soldier CanyonInyo National Forest40,589
South SierraInyo National Forest41,853
Table Mtn.Inyo National Forest4,215
TinemahaInyo National Forest27,060
WattersonInyo National Forest6,922
Wheeler RidgeInyo National Forest15,744
Whisky CreekInyo National Forest865
Wonoga Pk.Inyo National Forest11,272
Nevada (3)
AreaForestAcres
Boundary Peak (NV)Inyo National Forest21,851
Excelsior (NV)Inyo National Forest7,744
SugarloafInyo National Forest11,534
References (30)
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  2. California Department of Fish and Game (CDF&G). 1990. 1989 annual report on the status of California's state listed threatened and endangered plants and animals. 188 pp.
  3. California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). 2020. Report to the Fish and Game Commission: Five-Year Species Review of Owens pupfish (<i>Cyprinodon radiosus</i>). California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Sacramento, CA. 25 pp. https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=183640
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  5. Echelle, A. A., and T. E. Dowling. 1992. Mitochondrial DNA variation and evolution of the Death Valley pupfishes (CYPRINODON, Cyprinodontidae). Evolution 46:193-206.
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  12. Minckley, W. L., and J. E. Deacon. 1991. Battle Against Extinction: Native Fish Management in the American West. University of Arizona Press, Tucson. xviii + 517 pp.
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  28. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 1990. Endangered and threatened species recovery program: report to Congress. 406 pp.
  29. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2009. Owens pupfish (<i>Cyprinodon radiosus</i>) 5-year review: summary and evaluation. USFWS, Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office, Ventura, California.
  30. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2020. 5-Year Review. Owens Pupfish (<i>Cyprinodon radiosus</i>). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office, Ventura, CA. 13 pp. https://ecos.fws.gov/docs/tess/species_nonpublish/3965.pdf