Barbara A. Martin
Thomas W. Anderson
Michael K. Saiki
2011
<p><span>In October 2006, months after shallow experimental ponds in the Salton Sea Basin were filled with water from the Alamo River and Salton Sea, fish were observed in several ponds, although inlets had been screened to exclude fish. During October 2007–November 2009, nine surveys were conducted using baited minnow traps to document species and relative abundance of fish. Surveys yielded 3,620 fish representing five species. Desert pupfish (</span><span class="genus-species">Cyprinodon macularius</span><span>), the only native species encountered, was the most numerous and comprised >93% of the catch. Nonnative species included western mosquitofish (</span><span class="genus-species">Gambusia affinis</span><span>, 4.1%), sailfin molly (</span><span class="genus-species">Poecilia latipinna</span><span>, 2.8%), and tilapia (a mixture of hybrid Mozambique tilapia </span><span class="genus-species">Oreochromis mossambicus</span><span> × </span><span class="genus-species">O. urolepis</span><span> and redbelly tilapia </span><span class="genus-species">Tilapia zillii</span><span>, <0.1%). Dominance by desert pupfish, which persisted over our 2 years of study, was unusual because surveys conducted in nearby agricultural drains yielded relatively few desert pupfish.</span></p>
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10.1894/F12-CMT-06.1
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BioOne
Unusual dominance by desert pupfish (Cyprinodon macularius) in experimental ponds within the Salton Sea Basin
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