The Great Basin Naturalist
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STATUS OF INTRODUCED FISHES IN CERTAIN SPRING SYSTEMS IN SOUTHERN NEVADA Walter R. Courtenay, Jr.," and James E. Deacon^ .Abstract.— We record eight species of exotic fishes as established, reproducing populations in certain springs in Clark, Lincoln, and Nye counties. Nevada. These include an unidentified species of Hi/postomus, Cyprinus carpio, Poecilia mexicana. Poecilia reticulata, a Xiphophorus hybrid, and Cichlasoma nigrofasciatiim. Tilapia mariae, estab- lished in a spring near the Overton Arm of Lake Mead, and Tilapia zilli, established in a golf course pond in Pah- rump Valley, are recorded for the first time from Nevada waters. Though populations of transplanted Gambusia af- finis persist, other populations of Poecilia latipinna are apparently no longer extant. Cichlasoma severum, Notemigomis crysoleucas, Poecilia latipinna, and Carassius auratus were apparently eradicated from Rogers Spring in 1963. Miller and Alcorn (1943), Miller (1961), La of Deacon et al. (1964) and Hubbs and Dea- Rivers (1962), Deacon et al. (1964), Hubbs con (1964). and Deacon (1964), Minckley and Deacon (1968), Minckley (1973), Hubbs et al. (1974), Clark County Deacon (1979), Hardy (1980), and others re- corded the presence of non-native fishes in Indian Spring is 2 km south of U.S. High- Nevada. In those papers, it was stressed that way 95, approximately 62 km northwest of the introduction of nonnative fishes, be they Las Vegas in the village of Indian Springs. exotic (of foreign origin) or transplants native Minckley (1973) recorded a suckermouth cat- to otlier areas of the United States, can have fish {Hypostomiis) as successfully established serious, adverse impacts on the depauperate since at least 1966 "in a warm spring in and often highly endemic fish fauna in the southern Nevada"; this reference was to In- southwestern U.S. Deacon et al. (1964) em- dian Spring. Brief examination of Indian phasized that most of the endemic fishes are Spring by Deacon .since 1966 demonstrates small and, therefore, subject to more adverse that the population has remained common impacts through introductions of small bait and continues to reproduce successfully. The or ornamental fishes than with earlier in- deeply imdercut banks with numerous tree troductions of larger fishes, a subject re- roots and holes provide excellent refuge for viewed by Hubbs and Broderick (1963). this rather cryptic species. Our collection on In this paper, we document eight species 18 October 1980 yielded only one specimen, of exotic fishes in three counties of southern despite repeated seining. A local resident ad- Nevada. One of these fishes, the spotted ti- vised us that local youngsters had removed as lapia {Tilapia mariae), was previously known many as 500 individuals in recent months, to have become established only in Florida probably for sale to pet shops in Las Vegas; (Hogg 1974, 1976, Courtenay and Robins this, predation on eggs by an introduced snail 1975, Courtenay 1979b, 1980, Courtenay and {Melanoides tiiberciilata), competition from Hensley 1979, 1980). Another, the redbelly other introduced fishes, or a combination of tilapia {Tilapia zilli), has been recorded as es- these factors could explain the apparent pop- tablished in Arizona, California, and Texas ulation decline of Hypostomus he felt had oc- (Courtenay and Hensley 1980). Our purpose curred. On 25 June 1981 a reexamination of is to update the status of introduced fishes in the spring pond using a face mask and a light southern Nevada, primarily from the reports to observe the undercut banks demonstrated 'Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton. Florida 33431. 'Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada 891.54 361 362 Great Basin Naturalist Vol. 42, No. 3 that Hypostomus continues exist to in rela- from this spring. An attempt to remove the tively high density in Indian Spring. Individ- introduced fishes was made in December uals of all sizes were seen hiding in or around 1963. We seined Rogers Spring on 18 Octo- almost every available hole, tree root, or ber 1980. The dominant fish (in numbers and rock. biomass) was the spotted tilapia {Tilapia Suckermouth catfish have been recorded as mariae). Shortfin mollies were very abundant, established in Texas (Barron 1964, Hubbs et convict cichlids were rare, and two guppies al. 1978) and Florida (Courtenay and Robins were collected. Underwater observations 1973, Courtenay 1979b, 1980). The specimen made prior to the seine hauls correlated well collected at Indian Spring is morphologically with the population densities revealed by distinct from those collected in Texas and seining. No banded cichlids, sailfin mollies, Florida and represents a third species of Hy- golden shiners, or mosquitofish were seen or postomus established in the U.S. collected, and they are considered as no long- Deacon (pers. comm. to D. A. Hensley) er extant in Rogers Spring. also recorded the green swordtail (Xiph- Of particular interest were the underwater ophonis helleri) from Indian Spring in 1975. observations on spotted tilapia prior to sein- Although we found no green swordtails at In- ing activities. Most of the tilapias, even large individuals dian Spring on 18 October 1980, a yellow to (above 100 mm SL), displayed the banded juvenile pale orange hybrid swordtail (probably X. pattern as illustrated by Thys van den Audenaerde helleri x X. maculatus) was found to be the (1966). Only a relatively few large individuals dominant fish in number of individuals. Gup- showed the typical adult pattern of spots on their sides pies (Poecilia reticulata) were also abundant (Fig. 1). Moreover, it was later noted, and several large common carp (Cyprinus following sein- ing, that most of the tilapias displaying the carpio) were seen but not collected. The only juvenile color pattern were missing parts or other species present was the mosquitofish most of their pelvic fins (Fig. 2) and that {Gambusia affinis). other fins (particularly the soft dorsal and up- Blue Point Spring is in the Lake Mead Na- per half of the caudal) often showed damage. tional Recreational Area above the Overton The only fish in Rogers Spring capable of in- Arm of Lake Mead, approximately 68 km flicting such damage were the adults with the northeast of Las Vegas. Deacon et al. (1964) typical adult color pattern; none of those had recorded guppies, shortfin mollies {Poecilia damaged fins. mexicana), and the southern platyfish {Xiph- At no time have population densities of Ti- ophorus maculatus) from Blue Point Spring. lapia mariae in Florida been observed to be In a collection made 18 October 1980, no approaching those seen in Rogers Spring. It is guppies or southern platyfish were found; probable that the trophic and spatial car- however, shortfin mollies, convict cichlids, rying capacities of Rogers Spring for spotted and a single spotted tilapia with damaged tilapia have been reached and that this be- pelvic fins were captured. Deacon et al. havioral hierarchy, led by a few highly ag- (1964) also reported a transplant, the sailfin gressive individuals, has developed to control molly {Poecilia latipinna), from Blue Point further overpopulation. Spring; we did not collect this species there and it is assumed that the population died out. Lincoln Gounty Rogers Spring is located 2 km southwest of Blue Point Spring in the Lake Mead National Deacon et al. (1964) did not find any exotic Recreational Area. Deacon et al. (1964) re- fishes at either Grystal Spring or Ash Springs ported convict cichlids, goldfish {Carassius in the Pahranagat Valley, some 145 km auratus) and transplanted sailfin mollies, north-northwest of Rogers Spring during col- golden shiners {Notemigonus crysoleucas), lecting trips on 2 February and 9 March and mosquitofish from Rogers Spring. Hubbs 1963. They did find an introduced population and Deacon (1964) reported convict cichlids, of mosquitofish at Ash Springs that was re- shortfin mollies, transplanted sailfin mollies, ported earlier by Miller and Hubbs (1960). and the banded cichlid {Cichlasoma severum) During a collecting trip on 3 June 1964, September 1982 COURTENAY, DeACON: INTRODUCED NevADA FiSHES 363 Francis McKittrick Watkins. FiiT. 1. An advilt spotted tilapia. 205 mm standard length. Drawing by in the summer of 1975 (Soltz and convict cichlids, shortfin mollies, and trans- short time thus eliminating the goldfish. planted sailfin mollies were discovered in Ash Naiman 1978), the north of Manse Ranch Springs (Hubbs and Deacon 1964). The prob- About 10 km to of Pahrump Spring, origi- able source of these introduced fishes was Spring is the site the largest spring in Pahrump Valley. suggested as Rogers Spring because all three nally failed in the late 1950s be- species were known to exist there. The same Pahrump Spring excess pumping of groundwater for three non-native fishes subsequently spread cause of the late 1970s the sur- from Ash Springs to Crystal Spring, 8 km to irrigation. During area was subjected to a land devel- the north-northwest. rounding included construction of a On 17 October 1980, surface and under- opment plan that park area. The ponds and water observations, as well as seine collec- golf course and small stream associated with this devel- tions, made in the outflow of Ash Springs from the vicinity of showed convict cichlids to be dominant in opment use groundwater Examination of the biomass, followed by shortfin mollies that the former spring source. in Cottonwood Park by the Ne- were dominant in numbers of individuals. main pond Wildlife on 4 March Transplanted mosquitofish were common and vada Department of and by one of us (Deacon) on 16 July no sailfin mollies were seen or collected. In- 1980 the presence of large numbers troduced fishes were somewhat uncommon in 1981 revealed mosquitofish and relatively a pool occupied by 35-40 individuals of the of goldfish and Tilapia Pahranagat roundtail chub {Gila robusta small numbers of the redbelly tilapia, of redbelly tilapia col- prdani).