WHITE SANDS PUPFISH CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT

The White Sands pupfish (Cyprinodon tularosa Miller and Echelle 1975) is classified as Threatened by the State of New Mexico (19 NMAC 33.1) and occupies four localities located in the Tularosa Basin of New Mexico: Malpais Spring, Salt Creek, Mound Spring, and Lost River. The former three habitats occur on White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), whereas Lost River occurs on Holloman Air Force Base (HAFB). During wet years, the Lost River population may occupy habitat on White Sands National Monument (WSNM).

Concern for the security of this species led to the development of the White Sands Pupfish Conservation Plan (Propst and Pittenger 1994) and the formation of the White Sands Pupfish Conservation Team with representatives from 5 resource management agencies (HAFB, WSMR, WSNM, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and New Mexico Department of Game and Fish). This team has been charged with developing and implementing the White Sands Pupfish Conservation Plan based on the best available data. Beginning in 1995, DOD Legacy has funded research concerning the conservation genetics and ecology of White Sands pupfish. This work has been coordinated out of the CES/CEV 49 at Holloman AFB, NM by H. Reiser and J. Dye. From 1995 to 1997 work was conducted by Margaret Mulvey and Craig Stockwell out of the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. Starting in 1998, research continued out of the Stockwell Laboratory at North Dakota State University. This web site summarizes the work from these two research laboratories.

1. Historic Scientific Data used to guide 1994 Conservation plan
2. Recent Scientific Findings