Texas - Leon Springs Pupfish - Cyprinodon Bovinus

	Leon Springs Pupfish - Cyprinodon Bovinus
STATUS: Endangered with critical habitat. CRITICAL HABITAT: Diamond-Y Spring and its outflow stream, Leon Creek; from the head of Diamond Y Spring downstream in Leon Creek to a point 1 mile northeast of Texas Highway 18 crossing, approximately 10 miles North of Fort Stockton, Pecos County, Texas. DESCRIPTION: A small (2 in.), colorful, robust, pupfish that has a wider head and body than most pupfish. Breeding males are powdery blue-gray with fins of varying shades of yellow edged with black. Females are grayish-yellow or grayish-brown dorsally, and lighter below. HABITAT: Prefers shallow, quiet stretches of flowing water. Substrate is marl with roots of aquatic vegetation. Associated marsh habitats and natural spring seeps and pools along the watercourse are also used. DISTRIBUTION: Present: Diamond-Y Spring and the Leon Creek and Diamond-Y Draw confluence. Historic: Leon Springs, Leon Creek, Diamond-Y Spring, and the Leon Creek Diamond-Y Draw confluence, Pecos County, Texas. THREATS AND/OR REASONS FOR DECLINE: Habitat loss (due to groundwater pumping), hybridization with introduced C. variegatus, competitions with introduced exotic species, predation by introduced exotic species, and pollution. OTHER INFORMATION:Recovery plan completed in 1985. Food items (in decreasing order of occurrence) include diatoms, algae, marl, amphipods, gastropods, ostracods, coleopterans, and seeds. Originally this species was known only from Leon Springs. It was considered extinct after severe alteration of original habitat occurred. In 1965 it was rediscovered in Diamond Y Springs and a short reach of Leon Creek. Diamond Y has since been acquired by The Nature Conservancy. REFERENCES: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. August 1992. Threatened and Endangered Species of Texas. Endangered Species Office, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Leon Springs Pupfish - Cyprinodon Bovinus

STATUS: Endangered with critical habitat.

CRITICAL HABITAT: Diamond-Y Spring and its outflow stream, Leon Creek; from the head of Diamond Y Spring downstream in Leon Creek to a point 1 mile northeast of Texas Highway 18 crossing, approximately 10 miles North of Fort Stockton, Pecos County, Texas.

DESCRIPTION: A small (2 in.), colorful, robust, pupfish that has a wider head and body than most pupfish. Breeding males are powdery blue-gray with fins of varying shades of yellow edged with black. Females are grayish-yellow or grayish-brown dorsally, and lighter below.

HABITAT: Prefers shallow, quiet stretches of flowing water. Substrate is marl with roots of aquatic vegetation. Associated marsh habitats and natural spring seeps and pools along the watercourse are also used.

DISTRIBUTION:

Present: Diamond-Y Spring and the Leon Creek and Diamond-Y Draw confluence.
Historic: Leon Springs, Leon Creek, Diamond-Y Spring, and the Leon Creek Diamond-Y Draw confluence, Pecos County, Texas.

THREATS AND/OR REASONS FOR DECLINE: Habitat loss (due to groundwater pumping), hybridization with introduced C. variegatus, competitions with introduced exotic species, predation by introduced exotic species, and pollution.

OTHER INFORMATION:Recovery plan completed in 1985. Food items (in decreasing order of occurrence) include diatoms, algae, marl, amphipods, gastropods, ostracods, coleopterans, and seeds. Originally this species was known only from Leon Springs. It was considered extinct after severe alteration of original habitat occurred. In 1965 it was rediscovered in Diamond Y Springs and a short reach of Leon Creek. Diamond Y has since been acquired by The Nature Conservancy.

REFERENCES:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. August 1992. Threatened and Endangered Species of Texas. Endangered Species Office, Albuquerque, New Mexico