Native Fish Translocations in Arizona, 2007 through 2014

Authors: Anthony T. Robinson

Year: 2014 (xlvi)

Abstract

During 2007 through 2014, Arizona Game and Fish Department completed 248 stockings of warm-water native fishes into 112 locations. Species were often stocked multiple times into each system to improve the chances that populations would establish. Most of the locations were stocked to establish new populations, but a few, particularly for razorback sucker, Xyrauchen texanus and Colorado pikeminnow, Ptychocheilus lucius, were augmentation programs. The number of new translocation sites varied greatly among species: 1 razorback sucker, 1 Little Colorado sucker Catostomussp., 1 Sonora sucker, Catostomus insignis, 1 desert sucker, Catostomus clarki, 1 speckled dace, Rhinichthys osculus, 1 woundfin, Plagopterus argentissimus, 1 bonytail chub, Gila elegans, 1 Yaqui chub Gila purpurea, 2 humpback chub, Gila cypha, 2 Little Colorado spinedace, Lepidomeda vittata, 2 bluehead sucker Catostomus discobolus, 3 longfin dace, Agosia chrysogaster, 4 Gila chub, Gila intermedia, 4 loach minnow, Rhinichthys cobitis, 5 spikedace, Meda fulgida, 10 roundtail chub, Gila robusta, 43 desert pupfish, Cyprinodon macularius, and 49 Gila topminnow, Poeciliopsis occidentalis. Species successfully established populations in most, but not in all locations, likely for a variety of reasons. A few sites thought to be perennial, dried out and hence the fish did not survive. Flooding caused the extirpation of a few populations. Cold winter-time water temperatures likely contributed to the extirpation of at least one Gila topminnow population. Negative interactions with other species may also have contributed to extirpation of a few desert pupfish and Gila topminnow populations.

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