Managers from the Nevada Office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Death Valley National Park, and the Nevada Department of Wildlife will be on hand to meet with the public and discuss planned recovery actions for the endangered Devils Hole Pupfish, Thursday, March 30, 2006, at the Bob Ruud Community Center, 150 North Highway 160, Pahrump, Nevada, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m..
The Devils Hole pupfish (Cyprinodon diabolis) was listed as endangered in 1967. This iridescent blue inch-long fish's only natural habitat is in the 93 degree waters of Devils Hole, which is a detached unit of Death Valley National Park. Although the cavern is over 400 feet deep, the pupfish are believed to spawn exclusively on a shallow rock shelf just under the waters surface.
The population of Devils Hole pupfish has not exceeded 553 individuals since surveys began in 1972. The adult population count conducted in November 2005 indicated a minimum population of 84 individuals, which is the lowest count on record.
The Nevada Office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Death Valley National Park, and the Nevada Department of Wildlife will be discussing the proposed long and short-term actions and asking the public for recommendations on how to best keep them updated on the status of the pupfish. Current information on the pupfish can be found at the following website: http://www.fws.gov/nevada/protected_species/fish/species/dhp.html
