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Owens Pupfish (Cyprinodon Radiosus) 5-Year Review

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Owens Pupfish (Cyprinodon Radiosus) 5-Year Review Owens Pupfish (Cyprinodon radiosus) 5-Year Review: Summary and Evaluation Photo by Billy Perry, CSUMB U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office Ventura, California January 2009 5-YEAR REVIEW Owens Pupfish (Cyprinodon radiosus) I. GENERAL INFORMATION Purpose of 5-Year Reviews: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is required by section 4(c)(2) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act) to conduct a status review of each listed species at least once every 5 years. The purpose of a 5-year review is to evaluate whether or not the species’ status has changed since it was listed (or since the most recent 5-year review). Based on the 5-year review, we recommend whether the species should be removed from the list of endangered and threatened species, be changed in status from endangered to threatened, or be changed in status from threatened to endangered. Our original listing of a species as endangered or threatened is based on the existence of threats attributable to one or more of the five threat factors described in section 4(a)(1) of the Act, and we must consider these same five factors in any subsequent consideration of reclassification or delisting of a species. In the 5-year review, we consider the best available scientific and commercial data on the species, and focus on new information available since the species was listed or last reviewed. If we recommend a change in listing status based on the results of the 5-year review, we must propose to do so through a separate rule-making process defined in the Act that includes public review and comment. Species Overview: The Owens pupfish (Cyprinodon radiosus) is a small fish in the killifish family (Cyprinodontidae) that rarely exceeds 6 centimeters (cm) (2.5 inches (in)) in length (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1998). Females are dusky, olive-green in color, with several dark vertical bars aligned in a row along the sides. Males are bright blue, particularly during the spring and summer spawning season. The Owens pupfish is restricted to the Owens Valley portion of the Owens River, Mono and Inyo counties, California. Historically, Owens pupfish were widespread along the Owens River, occurring in clear waters of springs, sloughs, irrigation ditches, swamps, and flooded pastures from Fish Slough in Mono County south to Lone Pine in Inyo County (see map below) (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1998). Currently, there are only four populations of Owens pupfish. The Fish Slough population consists of three sub-populations. The other three populations are: Mule Springs, Well 368, and Warm Springs. Methodology Used to Complete This Review: This review was prepared by the Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office (VFWO), following the Region 8 guidance issued in March 2008. We used information from the recovery plan for the Owens pupfish (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1998), survey information 2 from experts who have been monitoring various populations of this species, and the California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB) maintained by the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG). The recovery plan for the Owens pupfish and personal communications with experts were our primary sources of information used to update the species’ status and threats. This 5-year review contains updated information on the species’ biology and threats, and an assessment of that information compared to that known at the time of listing. There has been no previous 5-year review. We focus on current threats to the species that are attributable to the Act’s five listing factors. The review synthesizes all this information to evaluate the listing status of the species and provide an indication of its progress towards recovery. Finally, based on this synthesis and the threats identified in the five-factor analysis, we recommend a prioritized list of conservation actions to be completed or initiated within the next 5 years. Contact Information: Lead Regional Office: Diane Elam, Deputy Division Chief for Listing, Recovery, and Habitat Conservation Planning, and Jenness McBride, Fish and Wildlife Biologist, Region 8, California and Nevada; (916) 414-6464. Lead Field Office: Michael Glenn, Fish and Wildlife Biologist, and Michael McCrary, Listing and Recovery Coordinator, Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office; (805) 644-1766. Federal Register (FR) Notice Citation Announcing Initiation of This Review: A notice announcing initiation of the 5-year review of this species and the opening of a 60- day period to receive information from the public was published in the Federal Register on March 5, 2008 (73 FR 11945). The Service received one response to the notice, which we have considered in preparing this 5-year review. Listing History: Original Listing FR Notice: 32 FR 4001 Date of Final Listing Rule: March 11, 1967 Entity Listed: Species (Cyprinodon radiosus) Classification: Endangered State Listing The Owens pupfish (Cyprinodon radiosus) was listed by the State of California as endangered in 1971. The species is also a Fully Protected Species. Review History: The general status of the Owens pupfish was reviewed during the preparation of the Owens Basin Wetland and Aquatic Species Recovery Plan, Inyo and Mono Counties, California in 1998 (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1998). 3 Species’ Recovery Priority Number at Start of 5-Year Review: The recovery priority number for the Owens pupfish is 3 according to the Service’s 2007 Recovery Data Call for the Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office, based on a 1-18 ranking system where 1 is the highest-ranked recovery priority and 18 is the lowest (Endangered and Threatened Species Listing and Recovery Priority Guidelines, 48 FR 43098, September 21, 1983). This number should be changed to 2, indicating that the pupfish is a species (3 designates a subspecies) that faces a high degree of threat and has a high recovery potential. Recovery Plan or Outline Name of Plan or Outline: Owens Basin Wetland and Aquatic Species Recovery Plan, Inyo and Mono Counties, California. Date Issued: September 30, 1998. Dates of previous revisions: There have been no revisions to this plan. II. REVIEW ANALYSIS Application of the 1996 Distinct Population Segment (DPS) Policy The Endangered Species Act defines “species” as including any subspecies of fish or wildlife or plants, and any distinct population segment (DPS) of any species of vertebrate wildlife. The 1996 Policy Regarding the Recognition of Distinct Vertebrate Population Segments under the Endangered Species Act (61 FR 4722, February 7, 1996) clarifies the interpretation of the phrase “distinct population segment” for the purposes of listing, delisting, and reclassifying species under the Act. We have no relevant information regarding the application of the Distinct Population Segment Policy to the Owens pupfish. Information on the Species and its Status Species Biology and Life History The Owens pupfish was described by Miller (1948) based on a collection from West Spring, Fish Slough, northwest of Bishop, California. The species is a small, deep- bodied, laterally-compressed fish with a total length that rarely exceeds 6 cm (2.5 in). The species is sexually dimorphic; males and females can be distinguished easily from each other by coloration (Miller 1948). Females are dusky, olive-green in color, with several dark vertical bars aligned in a row along the sides. Males are bright blue, particularly during the spring and summer spawning season. The species is distinguished from other pupfishes by the anterior placement of the dorsal fin, long caudal peduncle (the narrow part of a fish’s body to which the caudal or tail fin is attached), absence of spine-like projections on scale circuli (growth rings), and absence 4 of a terminal black band on the caudal fin. Owens pupfish also have a greater number of dorsal, pelvic, pectoral, and anal fin rays than other pupfish species (Miller 1948). Owens pupfish congregate in small schools and feed mostly on aquatic insects. Spawning occurs over soft substrates in spring and summer. Mire and Millett (1994) observed that female Owens pupfish may be involved in spawning acts up to 200 times per day laying 1-2 eggs at a time. Eggs incubate for approximately 6 days before hatching in water temperatures ranging from 75°F to 81°F (24°C to 27°C) with an average of 95 percent of spawned eggs fertilized. Juvenile pupfish grow rapidly to sexual maturity in 3 to 4 months (Barlow 1961). They are usually able to spawn before their first winter, and lifespan is rarely greater than 1 year (Soltz and Naiman 1978). However, Owens pupfish live as long as 3 years in refuge habitats (Mire 1993). Distribution and Abundance Although the Owens pupfish was not formally described until 1948 (Miller), the distribution and relative abundance of Owens pupfish were noted by early explorers and scientists. Davidson (1859) reported pupfish as common throughout the Owens River, but absent from tributary streams. Fisheries surveys during the early 1900s documented pupfish in habitats throughout the Owens Valley (Kennedy 1916, Snyder 1917). The valley lies along the southwestern boundary of the Great Basin and the northwestern boundary of the Mojave Desert. Surveys concluded that Owens pupfish occupied most valley-floor aquatic habitats from Fish Slough (approximately 19 kilometers (km) 12 miles (mi) north of Bishop) south to Lone Pine (Kennedy 1916, Snyder 1917, Miller 1948), a linear distance of approximately 113 km (70 mi) (see map). Steward (1933) reported that the native Paiute tribe captured large numbers of pupfish with basket-like nets and dried them for use as winter food. Miller and Pister (1971) summarized field studies that showed pupfish were most abundant in shallow sloughs bordering the Owens River, and marshes and springs adjacent to the river. These observations indicate the pupfish occupied all of the Owens River, and possibly the Owens River Delta at Owens Lake.
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