FAIR USE NOTICE - This website may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of the Endangered Species Act and its implementation. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material contained in this document is distributed without profit for educational and research purposes. For more information go to this site. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
- Posted
- 10/06/11
Overview
Devils Hole pupfish (Cyprinodon diabolis) was listed as endangered in 1967. This iridescent blue inch-long fish's only natural habitat is in the 93 degree waters of Devils Hole. Devils Hole located within the Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Nye County, Nevada, which is a detached unit of Death Valley National Park.
The surface area of Devils Hole is approximately 10 X 50 feet the cavern is over 500 feet deep. Pupfish live in the top 80 feet of the pool, are believed forage to spawn exclusively on a 7X13 foot shallow rock shelf just under the water's surface.
The pupfish are believed to have been isolated in Devils Hole for 10,000 to 20,000 years. Endemic species with limited distribution like the Devils Hole pupfish are at greatest risk of extinction since they do not have the flexibility to change locations to adapt to changing environments.
