The Sonoyta pupfish or Quitobaquito pupfish (''Cyprinodon eremus'') is an

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...

species of pupfish from

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is d ...

in Mexico and

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

in the United States. Originally, it was considered to be a

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

of the desert pupfish (''C. macularius''), but it has since been reclassified as a distinct species.United States fish and Wildlife Service (1993). Desert Pupfish (Cyprinodon macularius) Recovery Plan. (Unpublished). Prepared for the USFWS, Region 2.United States Fish and Wildlife Service (2010). Desert Pupfish (Cyprinodon macularius); 5-Year Review: Summary and Evaluation. Phoenix, Arizona: USFWS.

Description

The Sonoyta pupfish has a thick, chubby body with a superior mouth filled with tricuspid teeth. The scales have spine-like projections. The body colors of males and females vary. Females (and juveniles) have narrow, vertical dark bands on the sides of the body, with a disjoined lateral band. Although females (and juveniles) have silver bodies, the fins are generally colorless, with the exception of an ocellate spot on the dorsal fin, and sometimes, a dark spot on the anal fin. Mature, breeding males, however, have darker fins, attached to a light to sky-blue body. The posterior part of their caudal peduncle (base if the tail) is yellow or orange, and sometimes, an intense orange-red.Minckley, W.L. 1973. Fishes of Arizona. Arizona Game and Fish Department, Phoenix. pp.186-192. Compared to other pupfishes, the Quitobaquito pupfish has a larger head, mouth and body, but smaller fins and shorter caudal peduncle. The Quitobaquito pupfish also has a deeper head and longer jaw.

Range

The Sonoyta pupfish currently has a very small range, which is estimated to cover less than . In the United States, it only survives in the Quitobaquito springs, a part of the

Gila River The Gila River (; O'odham ima Keli Akimel or simply Akimel, Quechan: Haa Siʼil, Maricopa language: Xiil) is a tributary of the Colorado River flowing through New Mexico and Arizona in the United States. The river drains an arid watershed of n ...

basin in the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument of south-central Arizona. It also occurs just across the border in Mexico. Elsewhere it is only found in two short stretches of the

Sonoyta River The Sonoyta River is a river of Sonora, Mexico. It is part of the Gulf of Calilfornia watershed. See also * List of longest rivers of Mexico * List of rivers of Mexico This is a list of rivers of Mexico, listed from north to south. There are ...

in Sonora, Mexico.

Habitat

Sonoyta pupfish are found in springs, lakes, pools, marshes and sluggish streams. The species generally prefers shallow and heavily vegetated waters. These pupfish can handle various fluctuations of water temperatures as well; including

salinity Salinity () is the saltiness or amount of salt dissolved in a body of water, called saline water (see also soil salinity). It is usually measured in g/L or g/kg (grams of salt per liter/kilogram of water; the latter is dimensionless and equal ...

levels three times that of seawater and temperatures exceeding .

Diet

The Sonoyta pupfish is omnivorous and it feeds on plants, the larvae and nymphs of insects, water mites,

ostracod Ostracods, or ostracodes, are a class of the Crustacea (class Ostracoda), sometimes known as seed shrimp. Some 70,000 species (only 13,000 of which are extant) have been identified, grouped into several orders. They are small crustaceans, typic ...

sponge Sponges, the members of the phylum Porifera (; meaning 'pore bearer'), are a basal animal clade as a sister of the diploblasts. They are multicellular organisms that have bodies full of pores and channels allowing water to circulate through t ...

, the eggs of other organisms and also their own eggs.

Reproduction

The male Sonoyta pupfish defends a territory against other males and attempts to attract females. The female's eggs are deposited randomly within the territory. Males have a distinct coloration that intensifies during breeding season.Arizona Game and Fish Department. 2001. Cyprinodon eremus. Unpublished abstract compiled and edited by the Heritage Data Management System, Arizona Game and Fish Department, Phoenix, AZ. 3 pp.

Conservation

Due to habitat changes, predation and/or competition with nonnative fishes, and possible wind drift of harmful chemicals from Sonora, Mexico, the Sonoyta pupfish population is severely reduced; however, the population at the Quitobaquito Springs remains stable, but sometimes ranges from high to low numbers seasonally. Conservation efforts for this species includes maintenance of habitats by keeping them free of nonnative aquatic species, and observing population health frequently.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3752454 Cyprinodon Pupfish, Sonoyta Pupfish, Sonoyta Pupfish, Sonoyta Fauna of the Sonoran Desert Natural history of Sonora Pima County, Arizona Taxa named by Robert Rush Miller Taxa named by Lee A. Fuiman Fish described in 1987 Endangered fish Pupfish, Sonoyta Endangered fauna of the United States