''Cyprinodon nevadensis'' is a species of

pupfish Pupfish are a group of small killifish belonging to ten genera of the family Cyprinodontidae of ray-finned fish. Pupfish are especially noted for being found in extreme and isolated situations. They are primarily found in North America, South ...

in the genus ''

Cyprinodon ''Cyprinodon'' is a genus of pupfishes found in waters that range from fresh to hypersaline. The genus is primarily found in Mexico, the Caribbean Islands and southern United States (Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma a ...

''. The species is also known as the Amargosa pupfish, but that name may also refer to one subspecies, ''

Cyprinodon nevadensis amargosae The Amargosa River pupfish (''Cyprinodon nevadensis amargosae'') is a member of a pupfish species complex which inhabits the watershed of ancient Lake Manly (present day Death Valley in California, USA). Currently, the species inhabits two disju ...

''. All six subspecies are or were

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...

to very isolated locations in the

Mojave Desert The Mojave Desert ( ; mov, Hayikwiir Mat'aar; es, Desierto de Mojave) is a desert in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the Southwestern United States. It is named for the indigenous Mojave people. It is located primarily i ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

and

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...

Subspecies

* ''

'', the

Amargosa River pupfish The Amargosa River pupfish (''Cyprinodon nevadensis amargosae'') is a member of a pupfish species complex which inhabits the watershed of ancient Lake Manly Lake Manly was a pluvial lake in Death Valley, California, covering much of Death ...

or Amargosa Pupfish, was originally endemic to two sections of the lower

Amargosa River The Amargosa River is an intermittent waterway, 185 miles (298 km) 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, i ...

. In 1940, a population was introduced at River Springs in

Mono County, California Mono County ( ) is a county located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,195, making it the fourth-least populous county in California. The county seat is Bridgeport. The co ...

* ''

Cyprinodon nevadensis calidae The Tecopa pupfish (''Cyprinodon nevadensis calidae'') is an extinct subspecies of the Amargosa pupfish (''Cyprinodon nevadensis''). The small, heat-tolerant pupfish was endemic to the outflows of a pair of hot springs in the Mojave Desert of Ca ...

'', the

Tecopa pupfish The Tecopa pupfish (''Cyprinodon nevadensis calidae'') is an extinction, extinct subspecies of the Amargosa pupfish (''Cyprinodon nevadensis''). The small, heat-tolerant pupfish was endemism, endemic to the outflows of a pair of hot springs in th ...

, was declared extinct in 1981, and was the first taxon to be removed from the endangered species list by virtue of extinction. * '' Cyprinodon nevadensis mionectes'', the Ash Meadows pupfish or Ash Meadows Amargosa pupfish, is listed as

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

under the

Endangered Species Act The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA or "The Act"; 16 U.S.C. § 1531 et seq.) is the primary law in the United States for protecting imperiled species. Designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of e ...

. It is limited to Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in Nevada. * ''

Cyprinodon nevadensis nevadensis The Saratoga Springs pupfish (''Cyprinodon nevadensis nevadensis'') is a subspecies of the Amargosa pupfish ('' Cyprinodon nevadensis'') of the family Cyprinodontidae. The native population is endemic to Saratoga Springs, a small wetland in Dea ...

'', the

Saratoga Springs pupfish The Saratoga Springs pupfish (''Cyprinodon nevadensis nevadensis'') is a subspecies of the Amargosa pupfish (''Cyprinodon nevadensis'') of the family Cyprinodontidae. The native population is endemic to Saratoga Springs, a small wetland in Deat ...

, was originally limited to

Saratoga Springs Saratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area, which has made Saratoga a popular resort destination for over ...

Death Valley National Park Death Valley National Park is an American national park that straddles the California–Nevada border, east of the Sierra Nevada. The park boundaries include Death Valley, the northern section of Panamint Valley, the southern section of Eure ...

. A population was introduced at

Lake Tuendae Lake Tuendae is an artificial pond at the Desert Studies Center in Zzyzx, California. It is inhabited by American Coot, mudhens as well as the endangered Mohave tui chub. See also *List of lakes in California References * * CA F ...<br></span></div> in <div class= Zzyzx, California Zzyzx ( ), formerly Soda Springs, is an unincorporated community in San Bernardino County, California, within the boundaries of the Mojave National Preserve, managed by the National Park Service (NPS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Inter ...

, but it may not have survived there. * ''

Cyprinodon nevadensis pectoralis ''Cyprinodon'' is a genus of pupfishes found in waters that range from fresh to hypersaline. The genus is primarily found in Mexico, the Caribbean Islands and southern United States ( Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklah ...

'', th
Warm Springs pupfish
is also listed as endangered under the ESA. It is restricted to six springs near

Devils Hole Devils Hole is a geologic formation located in a detached unit of Death Valley National Park and surrounded by the Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, in Nye County, Nevada, in the Southwestern United States. Devils Hole is habitat for the on ...

in Nevada. * ''

Cyprinodon nevadensis shoshone The Shoshone pupfish (''Cyprinodon nevadensis shoshone'') is a subspecies of ''Cyprinodon nevadensis'' from California in the United States. It is characterized by large scales and a "slab-sided," narrow, slender body, with the arch of the ventr ...

'', the Shoshone pupfish, is listed as a Species of Concern by the

United States Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with othe ...

. The fish is limited to

Shoshone Spring The Shoshone or Shoshoni ( or ) are a Native American tribe with four large cultural/linguistic divisions: * Eastern Shoshone: Wyoming * Northern Shoshone: southern Idaho * Western Shoshone: Nevada, northern Utah * Goshute: western Utah ...

, near the town of

Shoshone, California Shoshone is a census designated place (CDP) in Inyo County, California, United States. The population was 22 at the 2020 census, down from 31 at the 2010 census. The town was founded in 1910. Although small, it is notable as a southern gateway ...

, and possibly parts of the Amargosa River. The book Relicts of a Beautiful Sea by Christopher Norment is an exploration of the history of, and present challenges, faced by this group of fish taxa. Pupfish Castaways

References

nevadensis Fauna of the Mojave Desert Fish of the Western United States Freshwater fish of the United States Taxa named by Rosa Smith Eigenmann Taxa named by Carl H. Eigenmann Amargosa Desert Desert National Wildlife Refuge Complex Fish described in 1889 {{Cyprinodontiformes-stub