Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic; pH range: 7.5 - 8.0; dH range: 13 - 19. Subtropical; 18°C - 32°C (Ref. 1672); 37°N - 36°N
North America: Amargosa River basin in Nevada and California, USA.
Six subspecies were recognized:
Cyprinodon nevadensis nevadensis, restricted to Saratoga Springs and adjoining lakes, Death Valley National Monument in California;
Cyprinodon nevadensis amargosae, restricted to Amargosa River in California;
Cyprinodon nevadensis calidae, now extinct, in outlets of North and South Tecopa Hot Springs in California;
Cyprinodon nevadensis shoshone , in outlet of Shoshone Springs in California; ,br>
Cyprinodon nevadensis mionectes, in large springs in lower Ash Meadows in Nevada;
Cyprinodon nevadensis pectoralis, in small springs in hills around Devils Hole, upper Ash Meadows in Nevada.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 7.8 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 86798); common length : 4.5 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 12193)
Occurs in springs, their effluents, and spring-fed ponds and lakes (Ref. 5723, 86798). Not a seasonal killifish. Is difficult to maintain in aquarium (Ref. 27139).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Its reproductive strategies differ from many spring-dwelling pupfishes. Cyprinodon n. amargosae is a group spawner. Males do not establish and defend territories as do males of spring-dwelling subspecies. Instead, a reproductive male usually directs a receptive female to the periphery of the group where spawning occurs, although spawning may even take place in the center of the group (www.death-valley.us).
Page, L.M. and B.M. Burr, 2011. A field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. Boston : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 663p. (Ref. 86798)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01349 (0.00591 - 0.03081), b=3.14 (2.95 - 3.33), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 2.1 ±0.0 se; based on diet studies.
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).