Advances in captive rearing of Devils Hole pupfish at the Ash Meadows Fish Conservation Facility

Authors: Olin Feuerbacher, Jennifer Gumm, Kevin Wilson, Ambre Chaudoin, Jeffrey Goldstein, Alex Jones, Michael Schwemm, John Wullschleger, Corey Lee, Brandon Senger

Year: 2022

Abstract

The Ash Meadows Fish Conservation Facility began operation in 2013, primarily intended to develop a lifeboat population of Devils Hole Pupfish, Cyprinodon diabolis. Since the initial stocking of the 100,000-gallon refuge tank with 29 individuals in 2014, the population has grown to over 300 fish. Monthly collection of eggs from Devils Hole augments the population and provides gene flow into the captive population. Egg collections from the refuge tank have allowed for laboratory experimentation and breeding trials to refine captive rearing methods. This experimentation has provided insights into disease burden, fecundity, and egg viability, as well as hatch, survival, and growth rates. Comparison of data from fish reared from eggs produced in Devils Hole, the refuge tank, and aquaria have shown differences between the populations, particularly in egg viability and subsequent hatch and survival rates. Lower egg viability and increased rates of embryo malformations from fish in aquaria led to the development of new rearing methods and customized foods for broodstock.