Clear Creek gambusia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Clear Creek gambusia |
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The Clear Creek gambusia (Gambusia heterochir) is a small type of fish. It belongs to the Poeciliidae family, which includes many live-bearing fish like guppies. This fish is found only in the United States, specifically in Menard County, Texas. When a species is found only in one place, it is called endemic.
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Where the Clear Creek Gambusia Lives
The Clear Creek gambusia lives in the very beginning parts of Clear Creek. These waters come from springs and are always clear and cool. The water is also a bit acidic.
Its Home and Food
This fish loves to live among a water plant called Ceratophyllum. This plant is like a safe home for the gambusia. It also provides a place for the fish's main food, a tiny creature called an amphipod (Hyalella taxana). This amphipod is also endemic to the area, meaning it's only found there. The plants also help hide the gambusia from bigger fish that might want to eat them.
How They Have Babies
Clear Creek gambusias are ovoviviparous. This means the mother carries the eggs inside her body until they hatch. Then, she gives birth to live, tiny fish. Most baby gambusias are born between March and September. These fish spend their whole lives in the clear spring waters of Clear Creek, which flows into the San Saba River. They gather around underwater plants for food and safety.
Protecting the Clear Creek Gambusia
The area where the Clear Creek gambusia lives has become much smaller over time. This happened partly because of dams being built. These dams changed the water temperature, which made it harder for the Clear Creek gambusia to survive.
Challenges from Other Fish
Another fish called the western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) could handle these temperature changes better. They started taking over the Clear Creek gambusia's habitat. By 1979, the last group of Clear Creek gambusias was protected by a dam. This dam kept them separate from the mosquitofish living downstream.
However, the dam got damaged by animals called nutria (Myocastor coypus) and by tree roots. This allowed the Clear Creek gambusia and the western mosquitofish to mix, and they started to breed together.
A Helping Hand from Another Fish
The dam was fixed, and the number of Clear Creek gambusias grew. By 1985, many gambusias were found living below the dam again. This was surprising because mosquitofish were still there. It turned out that a new fish, the rainwater killifish (Lucania parva), had appeared. This killifish was not originally from the area; it was probably brought there by people using it as fishing bait. Scientists believe the rainwater killifish competed with the western mosquitofish, which helped the Clear Creek gambusia spread out again below the dam.
The Clear Creek gambusia was added to the United States' list of endangered species in 1967. This means it is a species that needs special protection to survive.
