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| NAS - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species |
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Common Name: woundfin
Taxonomy: available through 
Identification: La Rivers (1962); Minckley (1973); Page and Burr (1991).
Size: 9 cm.
Native Range: Historically, in drainages of the lower Colorado River basin, including the Virgin and Gila river in Utah, Nevada, and Arizona. Now found only in the Virgin River, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1984a; Page and Burr 1991).
Nonindigenous Occurrences: The woundfin was introduced into four localities in the lower Colorado River basin at the periphery of its native range in Arizona: the Hassayampa River, a Gila River tributary; the Salt River, also a Gila River tributary; Sycamore Creek, an Agua Fria tributary; and the Paria River, a Colorado tributary along the Arizona-Utah border (Minckley 1973; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1984a, 1994c; Hendrickson and Brooks 1991).
Means of Introduction: Stocked intentionally for conservation purposes, the goal of which was to establish self-sustaining populations of this endangered species in its historic range so as to reduce the chance of woundfin extinction (Ono et al. 1983). Stocking was carried out by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. The species was stocked in the Hassayampa River in February 1972 (500 fish), in the Salt River in March 1972 (350 fish), in Sycamore Creek in the spring of spring 1972 (a "few" fish), and in the Paria River several times between 1969 and 1972 (a total of 650 fish) (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1984a, 1994c).
Status: All introduced populations failed to survive (Hendrickson and Brooks 1991). No woundfin have been seen since their release in the Salt River. The population in Hassayampa River reproduced in the summer of 1972 but was destroyed in a flood in September of that year. The Sycamore Creek population survived the 1972-1973 flooding. Two gravid individuals were collected in late August 1973, but none have been seen since. No woundfin were found in the Paria River in surveys conducted in 1974 and 1975 (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1984a, 1994c).
Impact of Introduction: Unknown.
Remarks: Listed as a federally endangered species in 1970 (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1984a, 1993a). Recent accounts indicated that wild populations of woundfin are now found only in to the Virgin River where they are threatened by invasion of introduced red shiner Cyprinella lutrensis, Asian tapeworm, and extensive water development (Deacon 1988).
Other Resources:
FishBase Fact Sheet
Author: Leo Nico
Revision Date: 12/5/2003 Citation for this information:
Leo Nico. 2009. Plagopterus argentissimus. USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, FL.
<http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.asp?speciesID=624> Revision Date: 12/5/2003
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