Texas Fishes of Concern December 2000 Update

In July we made 132 seine collections in the upper 30 miles of the Devils River and obtained 233 Dionda diaboli. Although a few came from one of our standard collection sites (Finegan Springs), most came from previously uncollected and difficult to reach locations. None were found downstream of Dolan Falls. We don't know if these numbers are an indication of well-being or a manifestation of the dramatic changes in abundance we have seen before.

Collections will be repeated next year and for several years thereafter and we will attempt to correlate presence and abundance with habitat parameters. Hopefully we will eventually know enough to provide protection for the Devils River minnow and its habitat.

In spring 2001, we will begin similar collecting efforts in San Felipe Creek. We have a good working relationship with the City of Del Rio and the managers of the city golf course. Both entities are developing management plans in conjunction with the Devils River Minnow Conservation Team.
Research in the artificial streams at Heart of the Hills continues. So far (and quite unexpectedly), Devils River minnow is second only to Mexican mosquitofish (Gambusia speciosa) in terms of competitive abilities, reproductive success and predator avoidance.

A survey of Salt Creek this past summer found the creek to be rapidly drying and nearly gone. At that time we collected Pecos pupfish for the Ft. Worth Zoo and Bart Reid (private landowner who signed a Candidate Conservation Agreement with FWS). Each will maintain refuge populations. Approximately 1 month later the upper portion of the creek had completely dried, but fortunately both refuge populations are doing well.

After obtaining proper permits and landowner permission, representatives of the Ft. Worth Zoo had herbicide (Arsenal) sprayed on the abundant salt cedars along the creek in the hopes of bringing back flowing water someday.

Through the Landowner Incentive Program, we have helped another private landowner build a refuge pond and we are scheduled to stock pupfish in it this spring.

The status of Phantom Lake Springs is bad - at best there is just a trickle of flow. Refuge populations of Comanche Springs pupfish and Pecos gambusia are being maintained at Dexter National Fish Hatchery. Uvalde National Fish Hatchery is also maintaining a population of pupfish.

Fish and Wildlife Service has funded the Texas Water Development Board to do an extensive study of the recharge area and delineation of the aquifer. Dye tracing will be a part of this two-year study.

The Bureau of Reclamation is funding an emergency pumping effort at the spring. Even though it may change the cave flow dynamics a bit, it is worth the minor risks.

The San Solomon Ciénega and the resident fish populations remain in good shape. This spring we will develop a Habitat Conservation Plan for the area.

In March 2000, the lower watercourse of Leon Creek was renovated by intensive seining to remove all hybrid pupfish. All pupfish were frozen for analysis of pre-treatment level of introgression. We then released 2,300 pure Cyprinodon bovinus from the refuge population at Dexter National Fish Hatchery.

In September 2000 we collected fish from the lower watercourse to assess current level of introgression. Results show that renovation methods succeeded in reducing frequencies of non-native alleles - possibly to acceptable levels. Post-renovation allele frequencies were similar to those of the hatchery population, but there may have been losses of rare alleles.

The 1998 renovation and removal of hybrid pupfish from the upper watercourse produced an added benefit of removing carp from the Diamond Y headspring. This eventually led to a reduction in filamentous algae, resulting in additional pupfish habitat and ultimately more pupfish than ever seen there before.

The Nature Conservancy has removed all salt cedars from lower watercourse and is planning to scrape out some shallow areas for better pupfish habitat.

In 2001, further monitoring and releases of additional pupfish from Dexter are planned.

The Team feels that the San Marcos River should be free-flowing and that removal of Cape's Dam is in the best interest of the ecosystem. Ideally it would be removed in a gradual, step-down fashion over a 10-year period. This would restore the habitat upstream of the dam and reduce locations for hydrilla growth.

Repairs to the dam at Spring Lake are still being discussed. TP&W recommends working from the west side due to the age of the dam and number of trees that would need to be removed if working from the east side. It is possible that some of the trees there are so old that their roots are contributing to the stability of the dam. USFWS wants to work from the east side to reduce impact on a salamander population there.

According to Burr and Mayden (1999, Bull. Alabama Mus. Nat. Hist. 20:19-57), some (or all) of the blue suckers in Texas (Cycleptus) may be undescribed species. It is also possible that we may have undescribed species of redhorse (Scartomyzon) and speckled chub (Macrhybopsis). The gel jockeys continue to work on the question. In anticipation, New Mexico has initiated studies of blue sucker habitat use and migration patterns in the section of the Pecos River from Brantly Reservoir to the Texas state line.

TEXAS FISHES -- ENDANGERED, THREATENED OR SPECIAL CONCERN
SPECIES	AUTHORITY	TEXAS DISTRIBUTION	COUNTIES
shovelnose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus)	TPWD, TOES, TCAFS	tributaries of Red River and Trinity River	039, 091, 220, 249
paddlefish (Polyodon spathula)	TPWD, AFS, TOES	Neches River, Trinity River, Sabine River, Big Cypress Bayou, Sulphur River	001, 003, 019, 034, 037, 074, 100, 102, 113, 121, 139, 146, 155, 174, 176, 181, 187, 203, 204, 228, 229
American eel (Anguilla rostrata)	TCAFS	Red River to Rio Grande
goldeye (Hiodon alosoides)	TOES	Red River	091, 074, 139, 194, 019
Mexican stoneroller (Campostoma ornatum)	USFWS, TPWD, TCAFS, AFS, TOES	Big Bend region	189, 022
proserpine shiner (Cyprinella proserpina)	USFWS, TPWD, AFS, TOES	Pecos River, Devils River, San Felipe Creek	053, 222, 233
Devils River minnow (Dionda diaboli)	USFWS, TPWD, AFS, TOES	Devils River, San Felipe Creek, Sycamore Creek	233, 136
Rio Grande chub (Gila pandora)	TPWD, TOES	Little Aguja Creek, Davis Mountains	122
smalleye shiner (Notropis buccula)	USFWS, AFS, TOES	upper 2/3 of Brazos River	132, 217, 104, 138, 012, 224, 252, 182, 085, 076, 184, 111, 213, 126, 018, 109, 161, 073, 166, 198, 246, 014
ironcolor shiner (Notropis chalybaeus)	TCAFS, TOES	Cypress Bayou, San Marcos River	225, 230, 155, 102, 105
Chihuahua shiner (Notropis chihuahua)	USFWS, TPWD, TOES	Big Bend region	189, 022
Arkansas River shiner (Notropis girardi)	USFWS	Canadian River	180, 188, 117, 197, 106
bluehead shiner (Notropis hubbsi)	TPWD, TOES	Big Cypress Bayou	034, 155, 102
Rio Grande shiner (Notropis jemezanus)	USFWS, AFS	Rio Grande, Pecos River	189, 022, 222, 233, 053, 136, 159, 240, 253, 214, 108, 031
taillight shiner (Notropis maculatus)	TOES	Sulphur River, Cypress Bayou	194, 225, 102
sharpnose shiner (Notropis oxyrhynchus)	USFWS, AFS	Brazos River	132, 217, 104, 138, 012, 224, 252, 182, 085, 076, 184, 111, 213, 126, 018, 109, 161, 073, 166, 198, 246, 014, 026, 021, 093, 239, 008, 237, 079, 241
blue sucker (Cycleptus elongatus)	USFWS, TPWD, AFS	larger portions of most major rivers
creek chubsucker (Erimyzon oblongus)	TPWD	tributaries of Red, Sabine, Neches, Trinity and San Jacinto rivers	230, 034, 155, 102, 202, 201, 174, 003, 236, 204, 170
Mexican redhorse (Scartomyzon austrinum)	TCAFS	middle portion of Rio Grande	189, 022, 222, 233, 136, 159
Rio Grande blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus ssp.)	TCAFS	middle portion of Rio Grande	189, 022, 222, 233, 136, 159
headwater catfish (Ictalurus lupus)	AFS, TOES	tributaries of Rio Grande and Pecos River	195, 122, 233
Chihuahua catfish (Ictalurus sp.)	TCAFS	Rio Grande and Big Aguja Creek (Davis Mtns)	189, 022, 222, 233, 136, 159, 122
toothless blindcat (Trogloglanis pattersoni)	USFWS, TPWD, AFS, TOES	San Antonio pool of the Edwards Aquifer	015
widemouth blindcat (Satan eurystomus)	USFWS, TPWD, AFS, TOES	San Antonio pool of the Edwards Aquifer	015
Leon Springs pupfish (Cyprinodon bovinus)	USFWS, TPWD, AFS, TOES	Leon Creek	186
Comanche Springs pupfish (Cyprinodon elegans)	USFWS, TPWD, AFS, TOES	springs and canals in Balmorhea area	195, 122
Conchos pupfish (Cyprinodon eximius)	USFWS, TPWD, AFS, TOES	Big Bend region and Devils River	189, 022, 233
Pecos pupfish (Cyprinodon pecosensis)	USFWS, TPWD, AFS, TOES	Pecos River and tributaries	151, 238, 195, 055, 052, 053, 186, 222
Big Bend gambusia (Gambusia gaigei)	USFWS, TPWD, AFS, TOES	Big Bend region	022
Clear Creek gambusia (Gambusia heterochir)	USFWS, TPWD, AFS, TOES	Clear Creek	164
Pecos gambusia (Gambusia nobilis)	USFWS, TPWD, AFS, TOES	Pecos River and tributaries	195, 186
opossum pipefish (Microphis brachyurus)	TPWD	southern coastal area	031
Texas pipefish (Syngnathus affinis)	TOES	Corpus Christi Bay	178
fat snook (Centropomus parallelus)	TOES	southern coastal area	031
Guadalupe bass (Micropterus treculi)	USFWS, AFS, TOES	Nueces River, Medina River, Guadalupe River, Colorado River and its major tributaries; portions of Brazos River	069, 193, 232, 010, 163, 133, 130, 046, 015, 094, 089, 028, 105, 226, 164, 157, 160, 206, 141, 027, 069, 134, 150, 086, 016, 227, 011, 075, 014, 166, 246
western sand darter (Ammocrypta clara)	TOES	Red River, Sabine River, Neches River	074, 139, 194, 019, 212, 183, 229, 100, 121
blackside darter (Percina maculata)	TPWD, TOES	tributaries of Red, Sabine and Neches rivers	019, 225, 034, 155, 102, 250, 212, 092, 183, 174, 210
Guadalupe darter (Percina sciera apristis)	TCAFS	portions of Guadalupe River	133, 130, 046, 105, 028, 094
fountain darter (Etheostoma fonticola)	USFWS, TPWD, AFS, TOES	San Marcos River, Comal River	105, 046
Rio Grande darter (Etheostoma grahami)	USFWS, TPWD, AFS, TOES	Rio Grande, Pecos River, Devils River, San Felipe Creek, Sycamore Creek	222, 233
orangebelly darter (Etheostoma radiosum)	TOES	Red, Sulphur, Cypress Bayou, Sabine and Neches rivers	091, 019, 034, 230, 155, 102, 183, 210, 202, 176, 174, 187
river goby (Awaous tajasica)	TPWD, TOES	southern coastal area	031
blackfin goby (Gobionellus atripinnis)	TPWD	southern coastal area	031

TEXAS FISHES -- EXTIRPATED OR EXTINCT
SPECIES	PREVIOUS RANGE IN TEXAS
Maravillas red shiner (Cyprinella lutrensis blairi)	upper Maravillas Creek, Brewster County
Rio Grande silvery minnow (Hybognathus amarus)	throughout Rio Grande and Pecos River
phantom shiner (Notropis orca)	throughout Rio Grande
Bluntnose shiner (Notropis simus)	throughout Rio Grande and Pecos River
Rio Grande cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki virginalis)	streams of the Guadalupe and Davis mountains
Amistad gambusia (Gambusia amistadensis)	Goodenough Springs, Val Verde County
San Marcos gambusia (Gambusia georgei)	upper San Marcos River
blotched gambusia (Gambusia senilis)	Devils River