Using stand-alone videography and water quality sensing to assess relationships between environmental conditions and reproductive behavior in Devils Hole pupfish

Authors: Ambre L. Chaudoin, Olin G. Feuerbacher, Scott A. Bonar, Paul J. Barett

Year: 2009 (xli)

Abstract

The endangered Devils Hole pupfish, Cyprinodon diabolis, is a small, silvery-blue killifish confined to a single hot spring within Death Valley National Park, California/Nevada. This hot spring, Devils Hole, is connected to an aquifer that extends widely across the region. In the past three years, population counts have reached record lows, which has spurred interest in renewed recovery efforts and research. Spawning behavior may be an important factor in regulating population dynamics, particularly in species such as C. diabolis that occupy areas with extreme conditions and may thus have specific behavioral and physiological adaptations. However, much is yet unknown about pupfish reproductive behavior and factors that influence spawning within Devils Hole. This information is critically important for designing captive breeding programs for pupfish, and for helping to identify factors contributing to the population decline. Here we describe how current video surveillance technologies and water quality monitoring equipment has been deployed in a remote location to observe pupfish spawning behavior and measure water quality parameters. A surveillance system consisting of three video cameras provides continuous monitoring and recording of pupfish activities on a shallow spawning shelf within Devils Hole. Meters deployed across the shelf simultaneously record dissolved oxygen, temperature, and pH. These stand-alone datalogging systems are being used to capture pupfish spawning behavior and associated conditions over a time-continuum in the field, as uninfluenced by human interaction. These data provide tools for investigating temporal, spatial, and behavioral aspects of spawning activity as related to ambient environmental conditions. The stand-alone systems may be adaptable for use in other remote and/or sensitive habitats where in-person monitoring methods may be suboptimal or impractical.