WILDLIFE OF SPECIAL CONCERN IN

(Public Review Draft)

Note: Comment on this draft list is welcomed.

Please submit your comments before December 13, 1996, to:

Nongame Branch Chief Arizona Game and Fish Department 2221 West Greenway Road Phoenix, Arizona 85023-4399

October 14, 1996 na Game and Fish Department Public Review Draft: October 14, 1996 walife of Special Concern in Arizona Page 15 reintroductions continue in the Verde and Salt rivers. Long-term success of reintroductions into Gila, Verde, and Salt rivers (beginning in 1981) is unknown. Threats: altered flow hydrology and cold tailwater releases from reservoirs; diversion; predation by and competition with nonnative fishes; possibly parasites. Management needs: ameliorate effects of reservoirs and nonnative fish species in razorback waters; monitor status of populations. cAnggigg

Yaqui Catfish (Ictalurus price:). Extirpated. Original range included the Yaqui and Casas Grandes basins, and Rio Fuerte system. In Arizona, believed to have occurred only in San Bernardino Creek and to have been eliminated by habitat degradation due to overgrazing (late 1800s, early 1900s), erosion, water diversion, and aquifer pumping. Introduced population in a pond at Monkey Springs was destroyed when the pond was drained. Imperiled in Mexico by habitat modification and hybridization with nonnative channel and blue (Ictalurus furcatus) catfishes. Little known about life history. Commonly caught in larger rivers in areas of medium to slow current. Reintroductions to San Bernardino NWR are in planning stages. Threats: aquifer pumping; reduction in stream flows; water diversion; drought; hybridization, competition and predation by nonnative fishes. Management needs: protect San Bernardino aquifers, and Leslie Creek and Black Draw watersheds to ensure adequate perennial flow; ameliorate effects of nonnative fishes; reintroduce into suitable habitats within historical range; stabilize and protect populations in Mexico.

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Apache Trout (Oncorhynchus apache). Endemic to Arizona; thought to have historically occupied headwaters of Salt, San Francisco, and Little Colorado rivers. Now restricted to streams of upper Salt, Blue, and Little Colorado drainages in White Mountains and introduced into North Canyon, North Kaibab, and Grant Creek, Mount Graham. Declines caused by habitat loss combined with hybridization with rainbow trout and competition and/or predation by rainbow, brown (Salmo trutta), and brook (Salvelinus fontinalis) trouts. Spawning occurs from March through mid-June, but varies with elevation. Diet primarily consists of aquatic and terrestrial insects. Recovery efforts underway, including habitat renovation and reintroductions. Threats: erosion; sedimentation; drought; predation by and competition and hybridization with nonnative fishes. Management needs: delineate specific management waters; maintain and/or enhance habitats; ameliorate effects of nonnative fishes from Apache trout waters; and, reintroduce into suitable habitats.

Gila Trout (Oncorhynchus gilae). Extirpated. Historical occurrence included headwaters of the Gila and drainages. In Arizona, formerly throughout upper Verde drainage and possibly and . Reintroduced in 1974 into Gap Creek (Verde River drainage), but that population now has also been lost. As with Apache trout, reasons for decline include habitat loss, hybridization and competition with rainbow trout and other nonnative Arizona Game and Fish Department Public Review Draft: October 14, 1996 Wildlife of Special Concern in Arizona Page 16 salmonids. Life history of Gila trout similar to that of Apache trout. More reintroductions will occur when stock is available from New Mexico, where recovery efforts are well underway. Threats: erosion; sedimentation; predation by and competition and hybridization with nonnative fishes. Management needs: delineate specific conservation waters; maintain and/or enhance habitats; ameliorate effects of normative fishes from selected waters; reintroduce into selected habitats.

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Desert Pupfish (C)prinodon macularius macularius). Historically occupied basin below about 5000 feet elevation in Arizona and Sonora, including lower downstream from Needles, California. Natural populations now occur at 12 known locations in California and Mexico. Extirpated from Arizona, but reintroduced since 1977 into 13 natural localities, two of which (Peoples Canyon and Yerba Mansa) are outside historic range. Currently restricted to one reintroduced natural site. Eliminated by habitat destruction and competition with or predation by nonnative fishes. An inhabitant of marshes, springs, backwaters, and slow flowing rivers and streams. Diet comprised of a variety of invertebrates, aquatic plants, algae, and detritus. Able to withstand extreme environmental conditions including salinity two times that of seawater and temperature to 100° Fahrenheit. More reintroductions planned for Gila River drainage. Threats: spring habitat alteration and development; habitat destruction; drought; predation by and competition with nonnative fishes. Management needs: protect existing populations; assess genetic composition of remaining naturally occurring populations; identify refugium populations; re-establish populations; monitor and manage reintroductions to maintain minimum of 55 sites in Arizona.

Quitobaquito Pupfish (Cyprinodon macularius eremus). One natural population known, in Quitobaquito Springs and Pond, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. Golden shiners (Notemigonus crysoleucus) illegally introduced into Quitobaquito Springs in 1960s, requiring intensive eradication efforts. Black bullhead (Amieurus melas) introduced in 1993. Both introductions represented significant threats to Quitobaquito pupfish. Life history similar to that of desert pupfish. Threats: habitat alteration; predation by and competition with nonnative fishes; possibly wind-drift of pesticides from Sonora (Mexico). Management needs: protect Quitobaquito Springs and Pond habitats; establish a refugium population; monitor population health; and, maintain habitats free of nonnative aquatic species.

Gila Topminnow (Poeciliopsis occidentalis occidentalis). Historically considered most abundant native fish in Gila River Basin; was common in low to mid-elevation streams throughout drainages of Gila River and (in Mexico) Rio de la Concepcion and Rio Sonora. Now occurs in 11 natural localities in southern Arizona; seven of these sites have been contaminated with nonnative mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis). Of 180 known reintroductions within historic range since the early 1960s, 18 still persisted in 1996. Primary causes of decline are habitat loss and predation by nonnative fishes. Mosquitofish are proven predators, normally resulting in