Two recent earthquakes disrupted the Nevada habitat of one of the world's rarest fish, the Devils Hole pupfish, drastically reducing their population, officials said this week.
During a spring survey, biologists from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service and Nevada Department of Wildlife counted only 38 fish in their Death Valley National Park cavern. The park is an adjacent section in Nevada's Amargosa Valley, and the cavern is the only habitat for these fish.
Last spring, biologists counted 191 fish.
The earthquakes in December and February shook the cavern, moving algae, organic material and eggs off a shelf where the fish spawn and eat.
Due to the population drop, biologists added — for the first time — 19 captive-raised fish to the hole. They are also supplementing the population's diet until algae can regrow.
The fish have been routinely counted since 1972. About 200 fish were counted until the mid-1990s, then an average of 90 fish through the early 2000s, and in 2013, the number declined to 35. The count in spring of 2024 marked a 25-year high. The captive population is raised at the Ash Meadows Fish Conservation Facility to prevent extinction.
Officials say this spring, the habitat is improving. The next count is in the fall.
