The Julimes pupfish (''Cyprinodon julimes'') ( es, Cachorrito de Julimes) is a species of

killifish A killifish is any of various oviparous (egg-laying) cyprinodontiform fish (including families Aplocheilidae, Cyprinodontidae, Fundulidae, Profundulidae and Valenciidae). All together, there are 1,270 species of killifish, the biggest family ...

in the family Cyprinodontidae. This

pupfish Pupfish are a group of small killifish belonging to ten genera of the family Cyprinodontidae of ray-finned fish. Pupfish are especially noted for being found in extreme and isolated situations. They are primarily found in North America, South Am ...

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to El Pandeño, a

hot spring A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a spring produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow bodies of magma (molten rock) or by circ ...

in Julimes,

Chihuahua Chihuahua may refer to: Places *Chihuahua (state), a Mexican state **Chihuahua (dog), a breed of dog named after the state **Chihuahua cheese, a type of cheese originating in the state **Chihuahua City, the capital city of the state **Chihuahua Mun ...

, Mexico, and it is adapted to life in water that reaches temperatures as high as . Consequently, it has been referred to as the "hottest fish in the world", although the closely related ''

Cyprinodon pachycephalus The bighead pupfish (''Cyprinodon pachycephalus''), known in Spanish language, Spanish as ''cachorrito cabezon'', is a critically endangered species of pupfish in the family Cyprinodontidae. It is Endemism, endemic to an area covering less than ...

'' can occur in somewhat warmer waters. ''Cyprinodon julimes'' was

scientifically described A species description is a formal description of a newly discovered species, usually in the form of a scientific paper. Its purpose is to give a clear description of a new species of organism and explain how it differs from species that have be ...

in 2009 as similar to ''

Cyprinodon eximius ''Cyprinodon'' is a genus of pupfishes found in waters that range from fresh to hypersaline. The genus is primarily found in Mexico, the Caribbean Islands and southern United States (Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma and ...

'', but it has a bigger head, nearly one-third of its

standard length Fish measurement is the measuring of individual fish and various parts of their anatomies. These data are used in many areas of ichthyology, including taxonomy and fisheries biology. Overall length * Standard length (SL) is the length of a fish m ...

Appearance

Its body is deep, the dorsal and ventral profile is convex and the lower jaw exceeds the premaxilla. The dorsal fin is placed forward with respect to the pelvic fin.De la Maza-Benignos, M. and L. Vela-Valladares. 2009. “Cyprinodon julimes sp. nov”. Los Peces del Río Conchos (editor: De la Maza-Benignos, M.). Alianza WWF - FGRA y Gobierno del Estado de Chihuahua. Females and young have reticulate patterns of dark and light silver-brownish bands of varying lengths and thickness over the flanks, as well as a conspicuous black spot or ocellus on the distal edge of the dorsal fin. Dominant males are bluish-green in color and show a black bar along the distal edge of the caudal fin.

Holotype A holotype is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism, known to have been used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of several ...

.- UANL 18721 Collected by Ma.de Lourdes Lozano Vilano, Mauricio De la Maza Benignos, Ma. Elena García Ramírez, and the WWF group. February 25, 2007. Mature male 31.8 mm SL

Paratype In zoology and botany, a paratype is a specimen of an organism that helps define what the scientific name of a species and other taxon actually represents, but it is not the holotype (and in botany is also neither an isotype nor a syntype). Of ...

s.- UANL 18721 (39 specimens); TNHC39729 (2 specimens); USNM 391634 (2 specimens); UMMZ 248729 (2 specimens). Same data as holotype.

Distribution

The Julimes pupfish inhabits sections of " El Pandeño" hot spring system in the municipality of Julimes,

. The system is located within the Middle

Rio Conchos The Río Conchos (Conchos River) is a large river in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. It joins the Río Bravo del Norte (known in the United States as the Rio Grande) at the town of Ojinaga, Chihuahua. Description The Rio Conchos is the main rive ...

Basin and consists of a geothermal spring and a series of divergent canals. Until year 2011 ''C. julimes'' was restricted to an area of approximately that is part of the original system and a contiguous man-made blind canal, with depth ranging from and constant water temperatures ranging between .De la Maza-Benignos M., J.A. Rodriguez-Pineda, A. De la Mora-Covarrubias, E.W. Carson, M. Quiñonez-Martínez, P. Lavín-Murcio, L. Vela-Valladares, Ma de L. Lozano-Vilano, H. Parra-Gallo H, A. Macías-Duarte, T. Lebgue-Keleng, E. Pando-Pando, M. Pando-Pando, M. Andazola-González, A. Anchondo-Najera, G. Quintana-Martínez, I. A. Banda-Villanueva, H.J. Ibarrola-Reyes, J. Zapata-López. (2012
“Planes de Manejo y Programa de Monitoreo de Signos Vitales para las Áreas de Manantiales de la UMA El Pandeño; y San Diego de Alcalá en el Desierto Colombiano Vol 1.
''Pronatura Noreste'', A.C. (editor). Amigos del Pandeño, A.C. 162 pp.

Biology and behavior

Julimes pupfish (Cyprinodon julimes) male

Females and young group in small schools. They feed on

detritus In biology, detritus () is dead particulate organic material, as distinguished from dissolved organic material. Detritus typically includes the bodies or fragments of bodies of dead organisms, and fecal material. Detritus typically hosts commun ...

, perifitum (organic matter that collects on the surface of aquatic plants), and invertebrates — including the microendemic cochliopid Julimes springsnail '' Tryonia julimensis''Hershler, Liu and Landye, 2011. New species and records of springsnails (Caenogastropoda: Cochliopidae: Tryonia) from the Chihuahuan Desert (Mexico and United States), an imperiled bio-diversity hotspot. Zootaxa 3001: 1–32 — and were often seen feeding on floating grass seeds. Dominant males establish territories of about in diameter around sunken branches, rocks or pieces of travertine from where they court passing females. Displays of aggression dissuade other males from entering their territories. Females that are ready to spawn cautiously enter the dominant male's territory, showing a courtship display directed at attracting the guarding male. Mating pairs come together, swimming, swirling and waving their bodies simultaneously as the female releases single eggs which are immediately fertilized by the male. The eggs adhere to roots, aquatic vegetation, rocks,

travertine Travertine ( ) is a form of terrestrial limestone deposited around mineral springs, especially hot springs. It often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, cream-colored, and even rusty varieties. It is formed by a pro ...

or sunken objects and are abandoned to their fate. The Julimes pupfish is considered to be the freshwater

teleost Teleostei (; Greek ''teleios'' "complete" + ''osteon'' "bone"), members of which are known as teleosts ), is, by far, the largest infraclass in the class Actinopterygii, the ray-finned fishes, containing 96% of all extant species of fish. Tel ...

that lives in the highest-temperature waters on the planet and is possibly also the vertebrate with the smallest known distribution range.

Genetics

Effective population size The effective population size (''N'e'') is a number that, in some simplified scenarios, corresponds to the number of breeding individuals in the population. More generally, ''N'e'' is the number of individuals that an idealised population wo ...

was evaluated in 2013 and found to be critically low, indicating that "this pupfish is at genetic risk of extinction through loss of adaptive variance and, potentially, from

inbreeding depression Inbreeding depression is the reduced biological fitness which has the potential to result from inbreeding (the breeding of related individuals). Biological fitness refers to an organism's ability to survive and perpetuate its genetic material. In ...

." Mitochondrial variation was also extremely low, and haplotype frequency was biased heavily in favor of one of two variants. The most common variant represented a divergent lineage exclusive to this pupfish; which supports recognition of Julimes pupfish as a valid and critically endangered species. Additionally, twenty-five

microsatellite A microsatellite is a tract of repetitive DNA in which certain DNA motifs (ranging in length from one to six or more base pairs) are repeated, typically 5–50 times. Microsatellites occur at thousands of locations within an organism's genome. ...

loci for the Julimes pupfish were screened across 19 individuals. The number of

alleles An allele (, ; ; modern formation from Greek ἄλλος ''állos'', "other") is a variation of the same sequence of nucleotides at the same place on a long DNA molecule, as described in leading textbooks on genetics and evolution. ::"The chro ...

per

locus Locus (plural loci) is Latin for "place". It may refer to: Entertainment * Locus (comics), a Marvel Comics mutant villainess, a member of the Mutant Liberation Front * ''Locus'' (magazine), science fiction and fantasy magazine ** ''Locus Award' ...

ranged from 2 to 14, observed

heterozygosity Zygosity (the noun, zygote, is from the Greek "yoked," from "yoke") () is the degree to which both copies of a chromosome or gene have the same genetic sequence. In other words, it is the degree of similarity of the alleles in an organism. Mo ...

ranged from 0.105 to 0.947, and the probability of identity values ranged from 0.022 to 0.588. Tests for deviations from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) and for genotypic disequilibrium were conducted using GENEPOP v4.0 (Rousset 2008). After sequential Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons, significant deviation from HWE expectations was observed at five loci. all locus-pairs conformed to expectations of genotypic equilibrium.Carson, E.W., R. R. Beasley, K. L. Jones, S.L. Lance, Ma. L. Lozano-Vilano, L. Vela-Valladares, I. Banda-Villanueva, T. F. Turner, M. De la Maza-Benignos. (2013) Development of polymorphic microsatellite markers for the microendemic pupfishes ''Cyprinodon julimes'' and ''C. pachycephalus'' Conservation Genet. Resour. DOI 10.1007/s12686-013-9925-5 In accordance with conservation agreements between

Pronatura Noreste Pronatura Noreste is a Mexican nongovernmental, nonprofit organization recognized by the National Council of Science and Technology as a scientific and educational organization. Pronatura Noreste is one of six regional offices of the Pronatura M� ...

A. C. and Amigos del Pandeño, A.C. test results are being used for long-term genetic monitoring under the ‘‘Vital Signs’’ program for the geothermal Julimes springs.

Habitat

Within the hot spring, aquatic vegetation includes a single patch of

cattail ''Typha'' is a genus of about 30 species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Typhaceae. These plants have a variety of common names, in British English as bulrush or reedmace, in American English as reed, cattail, or punks, in A ...

(''

Typha latifolia ''Typha latifolia'' (broadleaf cattail, bulrush, common bulrush, common cattail, cat-o'-nine-tails, great reedmace, cooper's reed, cumbungi) is a perennial herbaceous plant in the genus '' Typha''. It is found as a native plant species in North a ...

'').

Cyanobacteria Cyanobacteria (), also known as Cyanophyta, are a phylum of gram-negative bacteria that obtain energy via photosynthesis. The name ''cyanobacteria'' refers to their color (), which similarly forms the basis of cyanobacteria's common name, blu ...

mats predominate throughout the system, showing different species composition and forming mosaics of different colors, textures and growth types. Colors range from light green-blue to brownish-red. Faunal associates include a mix of endemic species in the following taxa: an undescribed

poeciliid The Poeciliidae are a family of freshwater fishes of the order Cyprinodontiformes, the tooth-carps, and include well-known live-bearing aquarium fish, such as the guppy, molly, platy, and swordtail. The original distribution of the family was t ...

fish (''

Gambusia ''Gambusia'' is a large genus of viviparous fish in the family Poeciliidae (order Cyprinodontiformes). ''Gambusia'' contains over 40 species, most of which are principally found in freshwater habitats, though some species may also be found in br ...

sp.'') inhabiting the cooler sections of the system, the recently described cochliopid springsnail ('' Tryonia julimensis''); and

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

(CR)

red list The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biologi ...

ed sphaeromatid

isopod Isopoda is an order of crustaceans that includes woodlice and their relatives. Isopods live in the sea, in fresh water, or on land. All have rigid, segmented exoskeletons, two pairs of antennae, seven pairs of jointed limbs on the thorax, an ...

('' Thermosphaeroma macrura''). In January 2013, Amigos del Pandeño restored ~300 square meters of dried lower marsh habitat with support from

. The restored area, which more than doubled pupfish suitable habitat within the system was soon colonized by both pupfish and ''Gambusia sp.'' Julimes.

Conservation

The species is listed as Endangered (P) in the Mexican Endangered Species NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010. Since 1998, all water flow from "El Pandeño" has been allocated to 36 farmers grouped in the "San José de Pandos Irrigation Society" (SJPIS). The SJPIS farmers utilize an annual volume of , or 50 lps, for both agriculture and recreation. Deeply concerned about the preservation of their water source, farmers of the SJPIS, together with Julimes residents, chartered in 2008 the grassroots non-profit organization " Amigos del Pandeño, A.C." or "Friends of El Pandeño". With support from partner NGOs, including

, A.C., Biodesert A.C., Profauna A.C. and the WWF-Chihuahuan Desert Program, "Amigos del Pandeño" began an Integrated Spring Management Program which seeks an optimal allocation of spring flows, recognizing the environment — and consequently the Julimes pupfish — as a user. The Program seeks to implement

adaptive management Adaptive management, also known as adaptive resource management or adaptive environmental assessment and management, is a structured, iterative process of robust decision making in the face of uncertainty, with an aim to reducing uncertainty over ...

strategies, build local capacities, generate water savings by upgrading irrigation systems, promote environmental education and develop public outreach, and intervene in water policy towards the implementation of environmental flows. By 2009, the Julimes project was already evolving into a freshwater conservation model for arid northern Mexico; initial efforts were showcased by the Mexican National Commission for Biodiversity ( CONABIO) in the book ''The Natural Heritage of Mexico: One hundred success stories''. On September 28, 2010, the Mexican National Water Commission ( CONAGUA) issued positive response to the request made by " Amigos del Pandeño", allowing them to use and manage the federal lands surrounding " El Pandeño" — officially known as "San José de Pandos" — thermal spring, for environmental purposes, for a ten-year term. In May 2011, " Amigos del Pandeño" called for an initial "Vital Signs" planning workshop with the participation of scientists, experts, natural resource managers and specialists from universities, NGOs and the private sector, in order to develop a Science-based Management Plan for the spring system, and to begin to determine baselines to implement a "Vital Signs Monitoring Program". During the workshop, it was agreed that the purpose of a "Vital Signs Monitoring Program" would be early detection of environmental changes and providing an overview of the ecological consequences thereof in order to determine whether observations may dictate the need for changes in the management of the ecosystem and its natural resources. In April 2012, " Amigos del Pandeño", with support from

SEMARNAT The Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (in Spanish: ''Secretaría del Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, SEMARNAT'') is Mexico's environment ministry. Its head, the Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources, is a member ...

and the Chihuahua State Government, established "El Pandeño" as official Custodial Wildlife Conservation Management Unit "UMA-El Pandeño SDUE-UMA-EX-096-CHIH-12". In November 30, 2013, an area of 368 ha (909 Acres) comprising a group of springs and irrigation canals, including " El Pandeño" hotspring was nominated Ramsar Site No. 2201: "Manantiales Geotermales de Julimes"(Geothermal Julimes Springs) by the

Ramsar Convention on Wetlands The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands. It i ...

on the basis of the unique ecosystems present, and the endemic organisms, including the Julimes pupfish, the isopod '' Thermosphaeroma macrura'' and the gastropod '' Tryonia julimensis'', which have adapted to the extreme conditions which these systems present.The Ramsar Convention of Wetlands,The Annotated Ramsar List: Mexico, http://www.ramsar.org/cda/en/ramsar-documents-list-anno-mexico/main/ramsar/1-31-218%5E16517_4000_0__Presidencia de la República de México, 2014, Los ‘Manantiales Geotermales de Julimes’, en Chihuahua, sitio de importancia internacional, http://www.presidencia.gob.mx/articulos-prensa/los-manantiales-geotermales-de-julimes-en-chihuahua-sitio-de-importancia-internacional/ The site is also a Grassland Priority Conservation Area, as it acts as a resting and feeding area for migratory birds traveling over the desert areas of Chihuahua State, which have very few water bodies especially during the dry winter season.

Bibliography

* * * De la Maza-Benignos, M., Lozano-Vilano, M. D. L., & Carson, E. W. (2014)
"Conservation of desert wetlands and their biotas/Conservacíon de humedales desérticos y su biota"
Museum of Southwestern Biology, Pronatura Noreste, and Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León., .

References

External links

De la Maza-Benignos, M., Ma. de Lourdes Lozano-Vilano & E.W. Carson (eds.) (2014)
Conservation of desert wetlands and their biotas
Vol 1. Special Publications. Museum of Southwestern Biology, Pronatura Noreste, and Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León. {{Taxonbar, from=Q5200403 Cyprinodontidae Taxa named by Mauricio De la Maza-Benignos Taxa named by Lilia Vela-Valladares Fish described in 2009 Freshwater fish of Mexico