Headwaters of Holy Ghost Creek Pecos River near Pecos, NM Pecos River Pecos River through Bitter Lake

s River Pecos River through Bitter Lake Schooling minnows Pecos River BLM Overflow Rio Peñasco Downstream Black River Delaware River
Pecos River upstream of Roswell National Wildlife Refuge during drought Wetlands of Brantley Dam

perennial waters

ephemeral waters

town
Native Fishes of the Pecos River
New Mexico
refuge or park

dam

H reek
oly
C

Ghost
G Rio Grande Chub
White Sucker

Co
Gila pandora

all
Catostomus commersonii

Te

ina
Creek

co

sR
ot
eR

ive r
ive Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout

r
Oncorhynchus clarkii virginalis
Pecos

Pe
co
sR
ve

i
r

Flathead Chub
Platygobio gracilis Longnose Dace Central Stoneroller
Rhinichthys cataractae Campostoma anomalum

Santa Rosa Lake

Green Sunfish
Lepomis cyanellus
Santa Rosa Creek Chub
Semotilus atromaculatus

Bigscale Logperch
Percina macrolepida

Sumner
Rio Grande Shiner Sand Shiner Reservoir
Notropis jemezanus Notropis stramineus

Roundnose Minnow
Dionda episcopa

Speckled Chub
Macrhybopsis aestivalis

Gizzard Shad Y e s o Creek

Dorosoma cepedianum
Pecos Bluntnose Shiner River Carpsucker
Notropis simus pecosensis Carpiodes carpio

Cone j o Creek

Red Shiner
Cyprinella lutrensis
L
Western Mosquitofish M eek
o ra Cr Plains Killifish
a

Gambusia affinis Fundulus zebrinus

Pecos Gambusia
Gambusia nobilis
Fathead Minnow Rainwater Killifish
Pimephales promelas Lucania parva

Greenthroat Darter
Roswell Etheostoma lepidum

R io
Ho ndo
Bitter Lake
Bluegill Bottomless Lakes
o National
Lepomis macrochirus uid o s State Park
Hondo Wildlife Refuge Pecos Pupfish
Rio R

Reservoir Cyprinodon pecosensis

Longear Sunfish
Lepomis megalotis
Rio Felix

Cottonw
o o Creek Smallmouth Buffalo
d
Largemouth Bass Ri
o Pe
Ictiobus bubalus
ñas
Micropterus salmoides c o

Artesia

Gray Redhorse Brantley

Moxostoma congestum Reservoir

Blue Sucker Mexican Tetra

Cycleptus elongatus Carlsbad Astyanax mexicanus

Pe
co
sR
Headwater Catfish i
Ictalurus lupus
ve
r

Flathead Catfish Black River

Pylodictus olivaris Longnose Gar
Lepisosteus osseus

iver
Delaw are R

Texas
Red Bluff Reservoir
 Native Fishes of the Pecos River, New Mexico
Diversity: from the mountains to the plains
The Pecos River flows more than 900 miles tributaries like the Black and Delaware rivers. and are an important part of the ecosystem Other threats include toxic algal blooms,
through eastern New Mexico and into Texas,
where it meets the Rio Grande. The headwa-
Groundwater can form deep, clear pools in
sinkholes (a deep cavity in limestone that is
because they break down organic matter. In
New Mexico, Blue Sucker could become
increasing levels of salinity, and river frag-
mentation (when the movement of fish up RIVER DISCHARGE
ters of the Pecos begin in the high elevations filled with groundwater) that dot the land- locally extinct (extirpated) if their abun- and down the river is blocked by structures
of the southern end of the Sangre de Cristo scape – some of these can be seen at Bitter dance continues to decline. like dams and diversions). Fish are also USGS gauges: 08378500 (Pecos), 08396500 (Artesia), 08401500 (Brantley)
Mountains. The Pecos River flows south Lake National Wildlife Refuge and Bottom- There are some species of fish that are threatened when patches of rivers dry up
through the Western Great Plains and into less Lakes State Park. only found in a few small areas near the due to natural drought in combination with
the Chihuahuan Desert in southern New Native fishes of the Pecos River Pecos River and nowhere else in the world. human activities. 400
Mexico. In the north, the water is cool and There are currently 34 native fish species Pecos Pupfish and Pecos Gambusia are two Two species of minnows have been Pecos
clear as it emerges from the mountains. found in the Pecos River. Fish diversity is of these. They live in sinkholes and can extirpated from the Pecos River in New 350 Artesia
300 Brantley

discharge (cfs)
Further south, it becomes warm and full of high because there are several different survive harsh water conditions, such as high Mexico. These are the Rio Grande Silvery
sediment (sand and dirt particles) as it habitats found along the length of the river. temperatures and high salinity. Minnow, which is listed as federally endan- 250
passes through the flat plains and desert. Some fishes are only found in cool, clear There are also unique predatory species gered, and the Texas Shiner. These two
200
The water also becomes more saline (con- water and others are only found in warm, like Longnose Gar. Fossils indicate that this minnows produce semi-buoyant eggs
tains more salt). turbid water. Still others are found in unique species has survived for 100 million years! (floating under the surface of the water) that 150
There are many tributary creeks and rivers habitats, such as springs or sinkholes, or in The fish that we see today has several primi- drift from upstream to downstream as the 100
that flow into the Pecos River in New Mexico. areas with high salinity. tive characteristics. For example, it has a long embryos develop and hatch. The two fishes
50
The majority are found in higher elevations Minnows (family Cyprinidae) make up snout full of long, sharp teeth and an armor were affected by water management prac-
and form the river’s headwaters. There are about one-third of the native fish species of thick scales. tices and introductions of non-native fish to 0
fewer tributaries at lower elevations. All the found in the Pecos River. Fish in this family Conservation of native fishes the river. J F M A M J J A S O N D
tributaries contribute to the flow of water in are usually small and live for only a year or Unfortunately, many of the native fishes Learning about fish is an important first months
the Pecos. In the headwaters, water comes two. They can be found in diverse habitats found in the Pecos River today are under step in their successful conservation. Fish
from snowmelt (melting snow that accumu- and water conditions. The different species threat. Three species have been extirpated can be difficult to observe in the wild, so The hydrograph shows the amount of water flowing down the river at different �mes of the year. The
lated in the mountains over winter). Another of minnows have different functions in the (locally extinct, but found in other rivers). their unique characteristics and natural values represent a 30 year monthly average (1986 to 2016). Upstream, at the Pecos gauge, there is a
source of water to the Pecos River is ground- river and are an important part of the food Some fishes are threatened by non-native beauty can easily be overlooked. They have dis�nct peak in discharge in May as snow starts to melt. Further south, dams alter the flow of water
water (water that is naturally stored under- web. After a dry river is re-wetted, the min- species that compete with them for food important roles to play in creating a healthy depending on water needs downstream, such as water delivery for agriculture. At Artesia and below
ground). It gradually flows to the surface, nows are often the first fishes to recolonize. and habitat. Other native fish species are aquatic ecosystem. There are many ways to Brantley Dam, discharge appears to be rela�vely consistent throughout the year, except in the winter
and forms vast wetlands, such as the Bureau Suckers (family Catostomidae) can live for threatened by hybridization. When two protect native fishes and their habitats, such months when it is lower. However, the monthly average does not show shorter term changes in the
of Land Management’s Overflow Wetlands decades and grow to be very large fish. They species breed, the hybrid fish have a differ- as conserving water, keeping rivers clean, river flow. For example, discharge in summer is mostly low with occasional high flows a�er reservoir
near Roswell, and forms springs that feed feed on the benthos (bottom of the river) ent genetic makeup than their ancestors. and reducing the spread of non-native fish. releases.

SGCN Rio Grande

W hite Suck er F lathead Chub Longnose Dace Rio Grande Chub DEF INITIONS OF TERMS AND SY MBOLS
ƵƩŚƌŽĂƚdƌŽƵƚ EDƐƚĂƚĞĐŽŶƐĞƌǀĂƟŽŶƐƚĂƚƵƐ max . length
C atostomus R hin ic hthy s O n c or hy n c hus
P laty g ob io g r ac ilis G ila pan dor a T Threatened E Endangered TL: total length
c ommer son ii c atar ac tae ƃ ƃ c lar k ii v ir g in alis ƃ SGCN Species of Greatest
(from tip of snout to end of tail)
Conservation Need 25.4 mm = 1 inch
max . length lifesp an max . length lifesp an max . length lifesp an max . length lifesp an max . length lifesp an
stream typ e
320 m m T L 17 years 200 m m T L 5- 6 years 100 mm TL 3 years 17 5 m m T L 3 years 38 mm TL 8 years
stream typ e stream typ e stream typ e stream typ e stream typ e
interm i�ent sm all interm ed iate larg e
sub strate
sub strate sub strate sub strate sub strate sub strate
silt sand g rav el cob b le
food resources food resources food resources food resources food resources food resources

sh z oop lank ton

microscopic animals

insects alg ae
more abundant in silt and sand more abundant in clear water
sp aw ning p eriod sp aw ning p eriod sp aw ning p eriod sp aw ning p eriod sp aw ning p eriod
J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D insects
more abundant in cobble
aq u a�c v eg eta�on
f em ales p rod u ce 50, 000 eg g s; larv ae f em ales lay u p to 7 , 000 eg g s; eg g s roll adults ac�ve at night spawns mul�ple migrates from pools to ri es to spawn state sh of New Mexico eggs are laid in
life history life history life history life history life history non- insects d etritu s
dri� downstream a�er hatching along river bo�om as they develop clutches in cracks between cobble f em ales lay ab ou t 3, 500 eg g s gravel nests that were built by females snails, clams, crayfish decaying terrestrial vegetation

Rio Grande Shiner 'ƌĞĞŶ^ƵŶĮƐŚ Sand Shiner Bigscale Logp erch T SGCN
Central Stoneroller Creek Chub
C ampostoma ^ĞŵŽƟůƵƐ
N otr opis j emez an us ƃ L epomis c y an ellus ƃ N otr opis str amin eus P er c in a mac r olepida ƃ an omalum ƃ ĂƚƌŽŵĂĐƵůĂƚƵƐ
max . length lifesp an max . length lifesp an max . length lifesp an max . length lifesp an max . length lifesp an max . length lifesp an
7 5m m T L 2 years 18 0 m m T L 6 years 7 0m m T L 3 years 120 m m T L 2- 3 years 16 0 m m T L 4 years 250 m m T L 4 years
stream typ e stream typ e stream typ e stream typ e stream typ e stream typ e

sub strate sub strate sub strate sub strate sub strate sub strate

food resources food resources food resources food resources food resources food resources

sp aw ning p eriod sp aw ning p eriod sp aw ning p eriod sp aw ning p eriod sp aw ning p eriod sp aw ning p eriod
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spawns during high flow in spring and males grunt to a�ract mates females lay sw im s in sch ools; sp aw ns in w arm w ater; lays sm all clu tch es of tw enty eg g s b u t m ales d ev elop b u m p y tu b ercles to m ales carry stones in m ou th s to b u ild
life history life history life history life history life history life history
summer eggs are semi buoyant 0,000 eggs in nests made by males f em ales lay 1, 000 eg g s on sand su rf ace spawns mul�ple �mes in a year a�ract mates males build nests for eggs nests, then guard nests un�l eggs hatch

Pecos Bluntnose E SGCN

Shiner Sp eck led Chub ZĞĚ^ŚŝŶĞƌ Giz z ard Shad Roundnose Minnow Riv er Carp suck er
N otr opis M ac r hy b opsis
simus pec osen sis C y pr in ella lutr en sis D or osoma c epedian um D ion da episc opa C ar piodes c ar pio
ĂĞƐƟǀĂůŝƐ ƃ ƃ
max . length lifesp an max . length lifesp an mĂx .lengƚŚ ůŝĨĞƐƉĂŶ max . length lifesp an max . length lifesp an max . length lifesp an
9 0m m T L 2 years 6 0m m T L 2 years 7 5m m T L 3 years 3 0 mm TL 7 years 8 5m m T L 3 years 59 0 m m T L 10 years
stream typ e stream typ e ƐƚreĂmƚyp e stream typ e stream typ e stream typ e

sub strate sub strate Ɛub ƐƚrĂƚe sub strate sub strate sub strate

food resources food resources ĨoodreƐourĐeƐ food resources food resources food resources

sp aw ning p eriod sp aw ning p eriod Ɛp Ăw ningp eriod sp aw ning p eriod sp aw ning p eriod sp aw ning p eriod
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f em ales lay 1, 000 sem i- b u oyant eg g s b od ies are cov ered in taste b u d s; sp aw ns females produce sounds to a�ract mates lays up to 3 0,000 eggs that a�ach to p ref ers sp ring - f ed w ater w ith stab le sp aw ning occu rs in larg e g rou p s; f em ales
life history life history ĮƐŚĨĂĐƚƐ life history life history life history
during periods of high flow during periods of high river flow m ales p rotect sp aw ning sites plants and rocks moves in large schools temperatures lays non s�cky eggs p rod u ce m ore th an 100, 000 eg g s

&ĂƚŚĞĂĚDŝŶŶŽǁ E Greenthroat Darter T

WůĂŝŶƐ<ŝůůŝĮƐŚ ZĂŝŶǁĂƚĞƌ<ŝůůŝĮƐŚ Pecos Gamb usia
SGCN
tĞƐƚĞƌŶDŽƐƋƵŝƚŽĮƐŚ SGCN

P imephales pr omelas 'ĂŵďƵƐŝĂĂĸŶŝƐ F un dulus z eb r in us L uc an ia par v a G amb usia n ob ilis Etheostoma lepidum
ƃ Ƃ ƃ ƃ ƃ ƃ
mĂx .lengƚŚ ůŝĨĞƐƉĂŶ max . length lifesp an max . length lifesp an max . length lifesp an max . length lifesp an max . length lifesp an
6 5m m T L 2 years 50 m m T L 2 years 80 mm TL 2 years 55 m m T L 2 years 8 mm TL 2 years 7 5m m T L 3 years
ƐƚreĂmƚyp e stream typ e stream typ e stream typ e stream typ e stream typ e

Ɛub ƐƚrĂƚe sub strate sub strate sub strate sub strate sub strate

ĨoodreƐourĐeƐ food resources food resources food resources food resources food resources

Ɛp Ăw ningp eriod sp aw ning p eriod sp aw ning p eriod sp aw ning p eriod sp aw ning p eriod sp aw ning p eriod
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b reed ing m ales are h ig h ly d ecorated ; males have modi ed anal n for internal burrows in sand when res�ng, with head rem ov es ex ternal p arasites f rom oth er females fer�li ed internally and produce has no swim bladder lives on bo�om of
ĮƐŚĨĂĐƚƐ life history life history life history life history life history
f em ales d ep osit eg g s in crev ices fer�li a�on females produce live young exposed lays up to 30 eggs in the sand sh leaps out of water to avoid predators about 0 live young lives in sinkholes small, spring fed streams with swi� flow

Bluegill Largemouth Bass >ŽŶŐĞĂƌ^ƵŶĮƐŚ WĞĐŽƐWƵƉĮƐŚ T SGCN

Mex ican Tetra T SGCN
^ŵĂůůŵŽƵƚŚƵīĂůŽ

L epomis mac r oc hir us ƃ M ic r opter us salmoides ƃ >ĞƉŽŵŝƐŵĞŐĂůŽƟƐ C y pr in odon pec osen sis A sty an ax mex ic an us /ĐƟŽďƵƐďƵďĂůƵƐ
ƃ ƃ ƃ
max . length lifesp an max . length lifesp an max . length lifesp an max . length lifesp an max . length lifesp an max . length lifesp an
1 0 mm TL 8 years 7 00 m m T L 5- 7 years 150 m m T L 4 years 6 0m m T L 1 years 100 mm TL 3 years 9 00 m m T L 18 years
stream typ e stream typ e stream typ e stream typ e stream typ e stream typ e

sub strate sub strate sub strate sub strate sub strate sub strate

food resources food resources food resources food resources food resources food resources

sp aw ning p eriod sp aw ning p eriod sp aw ning p eriod sp aw ning p eriod sp aw ning p eriod sp aw ning p eriod
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young sh use different habitats than prefers areas with a ua�c vegeta�on m ales b u ild and g u ard nests; m ates sw im occu rs in saline sp ring s and sink h oles; sh gather in schools prefers warmer f em ales p rod u ce ab ou t 200, 000 eg g s;
life history life history life history life history life history life history
adults to avoid preda�on or compe��on males guard nests for several weeks circles arou nd th e nest d u ring sp aw ning m ales cou rt f em ales w ith m ov em ent water lays adhesive eggs p ref ers d eep p ools in larg e riv ers

Poster design: Lateral Lines (Dr. Ayesha S. Burde� and W.

Blue Suck er E SGCN
&ůĂƚŚĞĂĚĂƞŝƐŚ Gray Redhorse E SGCN
,ĞĂĚǁĂƚĞƌĂƞŝƐŚ Longnose Gar Howard Brandenburg) • Fish illustra�ons: W. Howard
Brandenburg • Photographs: Lateral Lines, American
M ox ostoma Southwest Ichthyological Researchers, L.L.C. (ASIR),
C y c leptus elon g atus ƃ WLJůŽĚŝĐƟƐŽůŝǀĂƌŝƐ I c talur us lupus L episosteus osseus
c on g estum Stephen R. Davenport (US Fish and Wildlife Service) and
max . length lifesp an max . length lifesp an max . length lifesp an max . length lifesp an max . length lifesp an Steven P. Platania (ASIR) • Distribu�on records: Dr. Thomas
9 00 m m T L 15- 22 years 1, 200 m m T L 20 years 500 m m T L 5- 7 years 250 m m T L 6 - 10 years 900 mm TL 20 years F. Turner and Alexandra M. Snyder
(Museum of Southwestern Biology
stream typ e stream typ e stream typ e stream typ e stream typ e
[University of New Mexico]) •
Review: Dr. Virginia A. Seamster
sub strate sub strate sub strate sub strate sub strate (NMDGF), Stephen R. Davenport •
Special thanks to Kirk Pa�en
(NMDGF) •
food resources food resources food resources food resources food resources
LATERALLINESART.COM

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m ig rates to sp aw ning areas; larg er lays u p to 100, 000 eg g s; u ses b arb els to sm all g rou p s g ath er tog eth er to sp aw n; prefers clear, swi� water uses barbels to has not changed since prehistoric �mes
life history life history life history life history life history
f em ales can lay u p to 150, 000 eg g s sense su rrou nd ing s as th ey f eed at nig h t constantly m ov es arou nd to f orag e locate food rarely captured armored scales swim bladder like a lung