The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that a petition to add the San Felipe gambusia, a small fish native to San Felipe Creek in Val Verde County, Texas, to the federal list of threatened and endangered species does not present substantial information indicating the action is warranted.
The petition was submitted by the Save Our Springs Alliance (SOSA) and received by the Service in June, 2005. Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Service is required to review the petition to decide whether it presents substantial scientific information indicating listing may be warranted.
When the Service is petitioned to list a species as threatened or endangered, it evaluates the information presented and cited in the petition. The petition suggests that the species limited distribution, reliance on spring flows that may be drawn down for agricultural and residential use, exposure to pollution, and threats from non-native species pose threats to the San Felipe gambusia. However, the petition did not provide substantial information concerning the impact of spring flow withdrawals on the species nor did it adequately tie land use practices to impacts on the species. In addition, the petition did not provide reliable evidence indicating non-native species or the habitat-specific natural factors make the gambusia especially vulnerable.
Though the petition did not provide an adequate assessment of threats to the San Felipe gambusia to justify future action pursuant to the ESA, the Service will continue to work with partners, including Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the City of Del Rio, to implement conservation strategies for the San Felipe gambusia.
The San Felipe gambusia was discovered in 1997 and is known only to live in San Felipe Creek. It is a small fish between one to two inches long and is often referred to as "mosquitofish" because it preys on mosquito larvae. The fish has light overall ground color with tan overtones, a broad stripe and prominent spots on its sides. The fishs back tailfin is dusty in color, or nearly colorless.
This determination can be found in the Services 90-day finding document. It is posted on the Services web site at http://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/ElectronicLibrary_Main.cfm. For a copy, contact the Services Austin Ecological Services Field Office by calling 512-490-0057 or writing Field Supervisor, Austin Ecological Services Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 10711 Burnet Road, Suite 200, Austin, 78758.
The Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies. Visit the Services website at http://www.fws.gov.
