Cyprinodon latifasciatus
Overview
The Parras pupfish is a small species of freshwater pupfish in the family Cyprinodontidae. It is endemic to the Laguna de Mayrán basin in southern Coahuila, Mexico. This species was widely thought to be extinct, 1903 being the date of the last recorded observation and it was declared to be extinct in 1930 until a single specimen was accidentally collected from an irrigation canal, in the town of Parras de la Fuente in 2012.
Cyprinodon latifasciatus faces severe threats from habitat modification and water extraction in its extremely limited range. The species is restricted to a few spring systems where groundwater pumping and agricultural diversions have dramatically reduced water levels and altered natural flow patterns. Introduced predatory fish species pose an additional threat to remaining populations in these fragmented aquatic habitats.
Habitat
This critically endangered pupfish is endemic to desert spring systems and associated pools in arid regions. The species requires clear, shallow waters with specific temperature and salinity ranges typical of natural spring environments.
