Pahrump Poolfish on the Brink of Extinction
Channel: FWSPacificSouthWest
Date: 2016-12-07

There is a rare species of desert fish fighting for its survival in a fresh water pond in the desert landscape of southern Nevada -- the Pahrump poolfish.

One of the last remaining populations of the endangered Pahrump poolfish, Empetrichthys latos, is at an alarmingly low number, below 1,000, compared to the 10,000 recorded in 2015. 

Throughout the month of October 2016, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist James Harter and Nevada Department of Wildlife biologist Kevin Guadalupe are rescuing the Pahrump poolfish from Lake Harriett at Spring Mountain Ranch State Park outside of Las Vegas, Nevada, and moving them to the Nevada Department of Wildlife’s fish hatchery at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. 

The poolfish are being taken to the hatchery to protect the species from extinction.  

According to Harter, it is the Service’s intention to “maintain what population currently exists.”  

The inter-agency team will then drain the water in Lake Harriet and remove any non-native plant and animal species.  The goal is to restore the lake to its original condition before reintroducing the Pahrump poolfish back to the wild.