Amargosa River pupfish

Cyprinodon nevadensis amargosae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Cyprinodontiformes
Family:	Cyprinodontidae
Genus:	Cyprinodon
Species:	C. nevadensis
Subspecies:	C. n. amargosae
Trinomial name
Cyprinodon nevadensis amargosae R. R. Miller

The Amargosa River pupfish (Cyprinodon nevadensis amargosae) is a member of a pupfish species complex which inhabits the watershed of ancient Lake Manly (present day Death Valley in California, USA).^[1] Currently, the species inhabits two disjunct perennial reaches of the lower Amargosa River. The upstream portion is near Tecopa and passes through the Amargosa Canyon. The lower portion is northwest of Saratoga Springs, just at the head (southern inlet) of Death Valley, where the Amargosa River turns north to enter the valley.^[2]

These diminutive fish subsist on cyanobacteria and algae. They have a life history adapted to the vagaries of the intermittent nature of their environment. They have a very short generation time (<1 year and usually just a few months), which allows for rapid exploitation of flooded portions of the streambed in years of high flow.

References[]

Further reading[]

• Norment, Christopher (2014). Relicts of a Beautiful Sea. UNC Press Books. ISBN 978-1469618661.

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