Ash Meadows Amargosa pupfish

Small chunky fish, usually with several indistinct vertical stripes. Females and young fish are olive green to tan in coloration. Males have a bluish tint, which is more vibrant during spawning. This Ash Meadows Amargosa pupfish occurs in warm spring-fed streams and spring pools. This species feeds on algae, diatoms and smaller invertebrates that grow on the substrate. They spawn year-round, but primarily during the spring and early summer by laying individual eggs on the substrate. The Ash Meadows Amargosa pupfish historically occurred within 10 spring systems throughout the Ash Meadows area of the Amargosa Valley , Nye County , Nevada . It currently occurs on the Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge and most of the major spring systems within this Refuge are designated Critical Habitat.