| Pecos pupfish | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cyprinodontiformes |
| Family: | Cyprinodontidae |
| Genus: | Cyprinodon |
| Species: | C. pecosensis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Cyprinodon pecosensis A. A. Echelle & A. F. Echelle, 1978
| |
The Pecos pupfish (Cyprinodon pecosensis) is a species of pupfish in the family Cyprinodontidae. It is endemic to the Pecos River watershed in eastern New Mexico and western Texas in the United States.
Distribution and Habitat[edit]
Despite once existing throughout the Pecos River, C. pecosensis populations have become increasingly isolated due to significant portions of their native habitat being removed. [2][3] Following the introduction of Cyprinodon variegatus (sheepshead minnow), pure Pecos pupfish populations have been further isolated and largely exist in scattered sinkholes, man-made impoundments, and marshes.[3][4] Its natural habitat includes springs, sinkholes, and pools of streams.[5]
Introduction of Cyprinodon variegatus[edit]
Cyprinodon variegatus is thought to have been introduced during the early 1980s, presumably via bait-bucket dumping. Shortly after the introduction of C. variegatus, C. variegatus X C. pecosensis hybrids quickly became widespread, occupying an estimated 50% of the native Pecos pupfish range by 1985. [6][7] The widespread success of hybrids, and quick range expansion throughout native Pecos pupfish waters, has been hypothesized to be the result of selection mechanisms for hybrids during a period when the native C. pecosensis population had experienced a reduction.[8]
Additionally, hybrid populations have been reported to have increased growth-rates and vigor (Heterosis), resulting in Pecos pupfish females to actively choose to mate with hybrids over pure male Pecos pupfish.[9][10] Given this, conservation efforts have been difficult and efforts are being made to prevent C. variegatus from entering into isolated C. pecosensis populations.
References[edit]
- ^ NatureServe (2013). "Cyprinodon pecosensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T6163A15361876. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T6163A15361876.en. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
- ^ R. R. Miller (1961). "Man and the Changing Fish Fauna of the American Southwest" (PDF). Michigan Academy of Science, Arts, and Letters.
- ^ a b C. Hoagstrom; J. Brooks (1999). "Distribution, Status, and Concervation of the Pecos pupfish, Cyprinodon pecosensis". Technical Report No. 2, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
- ^ M. L. Collyer; M. E. Hall; M. D. Smith; C. W. Hoagstrom (1999). "Habitat- morphotype associations of Pecos pupfish (Cyprinodon pecosensis) in isolated habitat complexes". Copeia. 2015: 181–199.
- ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2019). "Cyprinodon pecosensis" in FishBase. August 2019 version.
- ^ A. A. Echelle; P. J. Connor (1989). "Rapid, geographically extensive genetic introgression after secondary contact between two pupfish species (Cyprinodon, Cyprinodontidae)". Evolution. 43 (4): 717–727. doi:10.1111/j.1558-5646.1989.tb05171.x. PMID 28564193.
- ^ A. A. Echelle; C. W. Hoagstrom; A. F. Echelle; E. James (1997). "Expanded occurrence of genetically introgressed pupfish ( Cyprinodontidae : Cyprinodon pecosensis X variegatus ) in New Mexico". Southwestern Naturalist. 42 (3): 336–339. JSTOR 30055287.
- ^ M. R. Childs; A. A. Echelle; T. E. Dowling (1996). "Development of hybrid swarm between Pecos pupfish (Cyprinodontidae: Cyprinodon pecosensis) and sheepshead minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus): a perspective from allozymes and mtDNA". Evolution. 50 (5): 2014–2022. doi:10.1111/j.1558-5646.1996.tb03588.x. PMID 28565604.
- ^ J. A. Rosenfield; A. Kodric-Brown (2003). "Sexual selection promotes hybridization between Pecos pupfish, Cyprinodon pecosensis and sheepshead minnow, C. variegatus". Journal of Evolutionary Biology. 16 (4): 595–606. doi:10.1046/j.1420-9101.2003.00557.x. PMID 14632223. S2CID 13302325.
- ^ J. A. Rosenfield; S. Nolasco; C. Sandoval; A. Kodric-Brown (2004). "The Role of Hybrid Vigor in the Replacement of Pecos Pupfish by Its Hybrids with Sheepshead Minnow". Conservation Biology. 18 (6): 1589–1598. doi:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2004.00356.x. S2CID 39553092.