Owens pupfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Owens pupfish |
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The Owens pupfish (Cyprinodon radiosus) is a very rare type of fish. It lives only in California in the United States.
Contents
Description
This special fish can grow up to 7 centimeters (about 2.7 inches) long. Some of the biggest males can be even longer. Male pupfish are usually blue-gray. When it's time to spawn (lay eggs), they turn a bright blue color. Female pupfish are greenish-brown with a shiny, light-colored belly. The Owens pupfish is currently listed as an endangered species in the United States. This means it is at risk of disappearing forever.
History
The Owens pupfish used to be very common in the Owens Valley in California. You could find them in the Owens River and its nearby sloughs (slow-moving water channels) and marshes. Long ago, the Northern Paiute people would catch these fish. They would dry them to eat during the winter months.
Later, a lot of water was moved from the Owens River to the Los Angeles area. Because of this, the pupfish lost most of its natural home. By 1942, people thought this fish had completely disappeared. But in 1964, a small group of about 200 pupfish was found!
When these fish were moved to a safer place, all the Owens pupfish in the world fit into just two buckets. The California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) then worked hard to save them. They created six safe places, called refuges, for the fish. They used the pupfish from those two buckets to start new groups. Today, five of these groups are still alive and doing well.
Habitat
The Owens pupfish can live in many different kinds of water. Their natural home includes desert marshes. In summer, the water can get as warm as 33 degrees Celsius (91 degrees Fahrenheit). In winter, ice can form on top of the water. Some areas where they live have water that is four times saltier than the ocean. The water can also have very little oxygen, but the pupfish can still survive!
Threats
One big problem for the Owens pupfish is a plant called cattail. Cattails grow very thick and can fill up the pupfish's home. They also collect detritus (dead plants and animals), which leaves no room for the pupfish to lay their eggs. The California Department of Fish and Game helps by clearing out these cattails.
Other animals that are not native to the area also cause problems. These include fish that eat the pupfish, like largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. Other threats are brown trout and bluegill. Even crayfish and bullfrogs can be dangerous to the pupfish.
Related Fish
There are other types of pupfish that live nearby. These include the Death Valley pupfish, Shoshone pupfish, and the Devils Hole pupfish. There was also the Tecopa pupfish, but it is now extinct. Another type is the Desert pupfish.
See also
In Spanish: Cyprinodon radiosus para niños
