Abstract
Common name: Pecos pupfish. Conservation status: Threatened status in Texas and New Mexico. Identification: Only scales on the abdomen are in a patch anterior to the pelvic fins and one posterior to the gill membrane isthmus (Echelle & Echelle 1978). Males have larger dorsal and anal fins, a dark bar on the distal portion of the caudal fin and an iridescent blue nape (Echelle & Echelle 1978). Females are cryptically colored olive-brown and the dorsal fin is marked by a dark ocellus. Juveniles of both sexes have the female color pattern. Contrary to the typical pupfish pattern, young males may lose the dorsal ocellus before onset of sexual maturity; however, in the presence of large, mature males, young adult males may retain the female color pattern (Garrett 1981a) as well as behavior (Kodric-Brown 1977). Drawings by Robert G. Howells. Distribution: Originally occurring in the Pecos River system from Roswell, New Mexico to Independence Creek, Terrell County, Texas, its range is now restricted to just a few locations (Propst 1999).
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