LAS VEGAS ( KLAS ) — A pair of recent earthquakes nearly wiped out the Devils Hole pupfish, regarded as one of the rarest fish in the world, according to biologists.
The population dropped to 38 fish after algae, organic material and fish eggs were swept off a shallow shelf after the earthquakes produced waves in the deep limestone cavern where the fish survive in Death Valley National Park. Now, biologists have taken the drastic step of adding 19 captive-raised fish to boost the population.
The next steps in building numbers in the isolated cavern will probably mean supplementing the fish’s diet until algae can grow back, providing a critical food supply, according to a Death Valley National Park news release on Tuesday.
When the earthquakes in December and February, the effects were devastating. A spring 2024 count found 191 pupfish in the cavern. The current level of 38 fish, less than 20% of the numbers found last year…