Empetrichthys latos
(Pahrump Poolfish)
Fishes
Native Transplant |
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Common name: Pahrump Poolfish
Synonyms and Other Names: Pahrump killifish
Taxonomy: available through
www.itis.gov
Identification: La Rivers (1962); Page and Burr (1991). This species was once represented by three subspecies: E. l. latos, E. l. concavus, and E. l. pahrump; two are extinct, and only E. l. latos remains (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1979a).
Size: 6 cm.
Native Range: Each subspecies was confined to an isolated spring in Pahrump Valley, Nye County, Nevada, where it was the only native fish. Two of these populations have become extinct. The Pahrump Poolfish E. l. latos disappeared from Manse Springs in August 1975 and now exists only outside the Pahrump Valley in transplanted locations (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1979a; Page and Burr 1991).
Nonindigenous Occurrences:
Table 1. States with nonindigenous occurrences, the earliest and latest observations in each state, and the tally and names of HUCs with observations†. Names and dates are hyperlinked to their relevant specimen records. The list of references for all nonindigenous occurrences of Empetrichthys latos are found here.
Table last updated 2/27/2023
† Populations may not be currently present.
Means of Introduction: This species was intentionally stocked to establish refuge populations for preservation of the species. The transplant to Corn Creek Spring took place in 1971 and involved 29 fish; Shoshone Ponds complex, a site created by the US Bureau of Land Management, was stocked in 1972 with 16 fish from Corn Creek or Manse Ranch Spring (an additional 50 fish were transplanted to the site in 1976); Spring Mountain Ranch State Park was stocked in 1983 with an unrecorded number of fish (Pister 1974; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1979a; Minckley et al. 1991). The Nevada Department of Fish and Game was instrumental in at least two of these introductions (Pister 1974).
Status: The species is established at Corn Creek Spring, the Shoshone Ponds complex, and Spring Mountain Ranch State Park (Minckley et al. 1991); populations also are established and stable at Chimney Springs, Hot Creek, and Sodaville Springs as of 1992 (Clemmer, personal communication). In 1989, Shoshone Ponds had approximately 450 fish (Bureau of Land Management, Ely, records). Several transplants have failed (Minckley et al. 1991). Soltz and Naiman (1978) reported that relatively large reproducing populations of Pahrump Poolfish have been established in ponds at Corn Creek and in an isolated canyon above the Colorado River. They indicated that a third population was established in an artificial refugium in Ash Meadows but that it died out in 1977.
Impact of Introduction: The impacts of this species are currently unknown, as no studies have been done to determine how it has affected ecosystems in the invaded range. The absence of data does not equate to lack of effects. It does, however, mean that research is required to evaluate effects before conclusions can be made.
References: (click for full references)
Clemmer, G. - Nevada Natural Heritage Program, Carson City, NV.
Lee, D. S., C. R. Gilbert, C. H. Hocutt, R. E. Jenkins, D. E. McAllister, and J. R. Stauffer, Jr. 1980 et seq. Atlas of North American freshwater fishes. North Carolina State Museum of Natural History, Raleigh, NC.
Page, L. M., and B. M. Burr. 1991. A field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. The Peterson Field Guide Series, volume 42. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, MA.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1979a. Pahrump killifish recovery plan. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver, CO. 37 pp.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1993a. Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants. 50 CFR 17.11 & 17.12. Federal Register, August 23, 1993. U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, DC. 40 pp.
Williams, J. E., D. W. Sada, C. D. Williams, and other members of the Western Division of Endangered Species Committee. 1988. American Fisheries Society guidelines for introductions of threatened and endangered fishes. Fisheries 13(5):5-11.
Other Resources:
FishBase Summary
Author:
Fuller, P.
Revision Date: 12/5/2003
Peer Review Date: 12/5/2003
Citation Information:
Fuller, P., 2023, Empetrichthys latos Miller, 1948: U.S. Geological Survey, Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, FL, https://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.aspx?speciesID=721, Revision Date: 12/5/2003, Peer Review Date: 12/5/2003, Access Date: 4/1/2023
This information is preliminary or provisional and is subject to revision. It is being provided to meet the need for timely best science. The information has not received final approval by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and is provided on the condition that neither the USGS nor the U.S. Government shall be held liable for any damages resulting from the authorized or unauthorized use of the information.
