Publications by Year

To appraise conservation status of the Yaqui catfish Ictalurus pricei, we reviewed literature and unpublished records on a captive stock, examined voucher specimens at museums, re-sampled historical localities in the Yaqui, Mayo, and Fuerte river basins, and we surveyed rivers further south. A total of 72 specimens of native Ictalurus was collected in the Yaqui, Fuerte, Sinaloa, Culiacán, and San Lorenzo river basins. No native Ictalurus was collected in the Mayo Basin. Distribution of the Yaqui catfish appears restricted to the Yaqui, Mayo and Fuerte river basins, all of which now harbor nonnative blue (I. furcatus) and channel (I. punctatus) catfishes. The nonnative black bullhead (Ameiurus melas) is now known from the Yaqui Basin and the flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) has been recorded anecdotally in the Yaqui Basin. Threats to the Yaqui catfish have increased in recent years and hybridization with the channel catfish now appears widespread. We conclude that the Yaqui catfish should be considered endangered throughout its range and that status of native populations of Ictalurus in the United States and Mexico should be reviewed and management intensified. Para evaluar el estatus de conservación del bagre de Yaqui Ictalurus pricei, revisamos la literatura y registros no publicados de una línea cautiva, examinamos ejemplares de referencia de museos, muestreamos nuevamente las localidades históricas en las cuencas de los ríos Yaqui, Mayo, y Fuerte y muestreamos los ríos más al sur. Recolectamos un total de 72 ejemplares de Ictalurus nativos en las cuencas de los ríos Yaqui, Fuerte, Sinaloa, Culiacán, y San Lorenzo. No recolectamos ejemplares de Ictalurus nativos en la cuenca del Mayo. La distribución del bagre de Yaqui parece estar restringida a las cuencas de los ríos Yaqui, Mayo, y Fuerte, las cuales albergan actualmente los bagres no-nativos I. furcatus y I. punctatus. El bagre no-nativo Ameiurus melas se conoce para la cuenca del Yaqui y el bagre Pylodictis olivaris se registra anecdóticamente para la cuenca del Yaqui. Las amenazas para el bagre Yaqui se han incrementado en años recientes y la hibridación con I. punctatus se ha extendido. Concluimos que el bagre de Yaqui deberá considerarse como en peligro de extinción a lo largo de su distribución y que el estatus de las poblaciones remanentes de Ictalurus en los Estados Unidos y México deberá revisarse e intensificar su manejo.

1. Exotic species threaten native species worldwide, but their impacts are difficult to predict. 2. Stable isotope analysis was combined with field competition experiments to predict how an invasive African cichlid fish, Hemichromis guttatus, might affect native fish in the desert springs of Cuatro Ciénegas, Mexico. 3. Stable isotope analysis suggested diet overlap between the invader and juvenile endemic cichlids, and field experiments verified that the invader reduces growth rates of the juvenile endemics through competition, but has smaller effects on adults. 4. Competition between juvenile endemic cichlids and the invader was asymmetric, with the exotic out-competing the native, suggesting the potential for competitive exclusion if the invasion is not stopped. 5. These results suggest that exotic removal programmes in Cuatro Ciénegas should focus on removing/reducing populations of the exotic cichlid in habitats where juvenile native cichlids are concentrated. 6. This approach could help focus efforts to manage exotic species before populations of native species have crashed, when it is too late to intervene. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Full text here: “This important book is basically about fishes of Arizona and very small areas of adjacent U.S. states, as well as all of the Mexican states of Baja California (North and South) and Sonora, and a very small piece of westernmost Chihuahua. After a short introduction (five pages), the first 17 pages of Chapter 2 provide background on topography, as well as geologic, climatologic, and vegetation history relevant to ecology and evolution of the natural aquatic ecosystems of a much broader region—all major North American deserts. The next 24 pages are an overview of the extensive recent human alterations of aquatic systems in the hydrologically defined focal area. Conservation issues are mentioned in Chapter 2, but Chapter 3 focuses on that and although short (4.5 pages), it is anything but sweet, strongly criticizing the political system and management agencies for failure to apply sound science and allowing the long, continual decline of native fishes to go unchecked. Chapter 4 (203 pages) contains brief guides to anatomy and identification, family and species keys, and very well-done, comprehensive species accounts for 173 species (75 native, including four undescribed). Content covering northwest Mexico is noticeably lighter than for Arizona. All species ever recorded are included, whether or not they have self-sustaining populations. A very strong point is the book’s comprehensive (72 pages) Literature Cited section, including substantial “gray” literature that previously had been underutilized and hard to find. I would have liked to have seen more citation of “raw” data (e.g., museum catalog numbers for key records) and was a bit surprised to see illustrations ranging from many very simple line drawings (little more than outlines) through occasional black-and-white photographs, but there are also many higher quality line drawings with greater detail and 47 nice color plate illustrations. Dot and shaded maps are provided for native species only. I found very few errors, all minor, and overall found this to be an authoritative and valuable contribution on this important and very much imperiled fauna and the complex issues that imperil it.”

The mission of the Desert Fishes Council is to preserve the biological integrity of North America’s desert aquatic ecosystems and their associated life forms, to hold symposia to report related research and management endeavors, and to effect rapid dissemination of information concerning activities of the Council and its members.

The mission of the Desert Fishes Council is to preserve the biological integrity of North America’s desert aquatic ecosystems and their associated life forms, to hold symposia to report related research and management endeavors, and to effect rapid dissemination of information concerning activities of the Council and its members.

The mission of the Desert Fishes Council is to preserve the biological integrity of North America’s desert aquatic ecosystems and their associated life forms, to hold symposia to report related research and management endeavors, and to effect rapid dissemination of information concerning activities of the Council and its members.

The mission of the Desert Fishes Council is to preserve the biological integrity of North America’s desert aquatic ecosystems and their associated life forms, to hold symposia to report related research and management endeavors, and to effect rapid dissemination of information concerning activities of the Council and its members.

The Fishes of Texas Project (www.fishesoftexas.org) compiled Texas fish species occurrence records from 42 museum collections and applied rigorous quality control and data normalization / standardization to result in 124,415 specimen-based records collected between 1851 and 2010 by 5,924 collectors. 88,348 records from 7,868 unique Texas inland localities were manually georeferenced with placement error estimates. 8,460 Gulf of Mexico records and 18,923 inland records from neighboring Mexican and U.S. states have been partially processed. Georeferenced records were plotted and 4,107 geographic outliers flagged as potential identification or location errors. Most flagged specimens, and often related original documentation, have now been examined and identifications corrected or confirmed. The value of such specimen-based vouchering of collections and compiling and normalizing large data sets was quickly demonstrated by discovery of 35 species occurrences in major river basins where they were previously not believed to occur. The online database can be queried in diverse ways, mapped, and records downloaded. Also online are a large set of high quality fish images, original field notes, specimen photos, detailed species distribution models based on the data, accounts of species’ biology and ecology, video time-lapse distribution maps, and digital identification keys.

The four primary objectives of this project were to: (1) compile a dataset of georeferenced range-wide occurrence records for 6 target fish species (Notropis buccula, N. oxyrhynchus, N. girardi, Hybognathus amarus, Platygobio gracilis, Macrhybopsis tetranema, Pteronotropis hubbsi, and Percina maculata); (2) use a high quality and geographically wide-ranging subset of those data to create species distribution models (SDM’s), which convert point occurrences into a continuous probability coverage; (3) use those models in conjunction with 130 additional SDM’s (previously created) to develop modeled conservation priority areas for Texas; and (4) complete a status survey for N. oxyrhynchus and N. buccula in the mainstem of the middle Brazos River. The dataset provided, derived from 51 original sources, includes 11,082 records, of which we were able to georeference 3,675 (33%). This number of records was sufficient for constructing SDM’s for the six target species, with all models meeting quality assurance criteria. Using these models, conservation area prioritizations were developed for Texas under several guiding criteria for decision making. The field survey sampled the mainstem Brazos at 20 sites between Possum Kingdom Reservoir and Bryan, TX, collecting 65,840 fish specimens representing 46 species. Neither survey target species was collected, suggesting absence or extreme rarity of both in this reach of the Brazos at the time of sampling. Collection sites upstream of Waco, compared to those downstream of that city, were less diverse in cyprinids and more diverse in non-native species, suggesting more heavily impacted habitat upstream of Waco. All raw data used in analyses and results of analyses and the field survey are provided with the written report.

The four primary objectives of this project were to: (1) compile a dataset of fish occurrence records for the entirety of the Rio Grande drainage in the US and Mexico; (2) improve that dataset by reformatting dates, synonymizing species names to a modern taxonomy, georeferencing localities, and flagging geographic outliers; (3) for those species with enough data sufficient for modeling, create species distribution models (SDM’s); (4), use the environmental conditions determined via those models to project the species distributions into the future under two climate scenarios. We compiled 495,101 fish occurrence records mined from 84 original sources into a single database. We then, on the basis of text string searches of the original sources’ verbatim locality fields, indicating a reasonable likelihood of being from the Rio Grande drainage, extracted 145,426 records for which we edited taxonomy, reformatted dates, and finally georeferenced 59,156 (41%) records that proved sufficient for constructing SDM’s for 36 species that met a priori quality assurance criteria. We provide basic interpretation of these models and discuss projections of them into several different future climate forecasts. Products include raw model outputs and symbolized maps helpful in interpretation and comparison, as well as raw data sets and recommendations regarding how all of these product might be used in future management efforts.

The Fishes of Texas Project (www.fishesoftexas.org) compiled Texas fish species occurrence records from 42 museum collections and applied rigorous quality control and data normalization/standardization to result in 124,415 specimen-based records collected between 1851 and 2010 by 5,924 collectors. 88,348 records from 7,868 unique Texas inland localities were manually georeferenced with placement error estimates. 8,460 Gulf of Mexico records and 18,923 inland records from neighboring Mexican and U.S. states have been partially processed. Georeferenced records were plotted and 4,107 geographic outliers flagged as potential identification or location errors. Most flagged specimens, and often related original documentation, have now been examined and identifications corrected or confirmed. The value of such specimen-based vouchering of collections and compiling and normalizing large data sets was quickly demonstrated by discovery of 31 species occurrences in major river basins where they were previously not believed to occur. The online database can be queried in diverse ways, mapped, and records downloaded. Also online are a large set of high quality fish images, original field notes, specimen photos, detailed species distribution models based on the data, accounts of species’ biology and ecology, video time-lapse distribution maps, and digital identification keys.

Background/Question/Methods Invasive species are commonly cited as one of the top threats to global biodiversity. The IUCN Red List database indicated that invasives are contributing threats 292 extinct, extinct in the wild, critically endangered or endangered fishes. The aquarium trade is one of five main pathways by which aquatic species are introduced to a new location. Hemichromis guttatus, a popular ornamental cichlid native to West Africa, is one of these species having been introduced into an endemic hotspot in northern Mexico, the desert spring system Cuatro Cienegas, where it has established, is spreading and is in the process of becoming invasive. This site provides the opportunity to study an invasion in progress and to make predictions about to where H. guttatus may spread, and then to test these predictions. In this work, we asked what is the invasion risk of currently uninhabited sites within Cuatro Cienegas? To do this, we conducted a valley-wide survey of H. guttatus and collected data on the environmental characteristics at each trap site. We then used logistic regression to model which environmental characteristics were related to presence of the exotic and used these results to assign invasion risk to as-of-yet uninhabited sites throughout the valley. Results/Conclusions We found that the model that best predicted Hemichromis guttatus presence included pH, temperature2 (indicating a non-linear relationship between temperature and presence), depth and vegetation presence. However, only pH, temperature2 and vegetation presence were significant predictors, indicating a threshold level of depth below which presence is much more probable, yet under which, there is no clear pattern between depth and the probability of presence. Using these results, we were able to identify sites with a very high, high, moderate and low invasion risk in the valley. Generally, invasion risk declined as sites were further away from thermal spring inputs i.e., downstream in the large river system, and higher closer to these sites. Some sites with a high risk of invasion have surface connections to known presences of H. guttatus while others with a high invasion risk are more isolated, thus dispersal limitation could interact with the environmental characteristics of a site to slow unaided invasion into these more isolated sites. These results will be beneficial to reserve managers in terms of deciding how to prioritize where to use the limited resources available to them to combat the spread of H. guttatus in the valley.

Abstract The variable platyfish (Xiphophorus variatus), native to Gulf Coast drainages of northern Mexico, is a popular aquarium fish with a long history of introduction globally. We document the first Texas occurrence of this species, and its persistence in highly urban Waller Creek in the city of Austin since at least 2004. The population appears to be limited to Waller Creek, having not yet been found in neighboring creeks where similar habitat exists. We observed individuals in situ and in the lab surviving in 7°C water, well below published thermal minima, and report its persistence through one of the coldest winters in Austin’s recorded history. Its persistence may be due to a combination of its cold tolerance and the presence of thermal refuges. In the lab we found that individuals purchased in a local pet store and individuals from Waller Creek had the same cold tolerance. , Resumen El pez espada de Valles (Xiphophorus variatus), nativo de las cuencas afluentes del golfo de México del norte de México, es una especie popular de acuario con una historia larga de introducciones globales. Aquí documentamos la primera ocurrencia de la especie en Texas y su persistencia en un arroyo urbano, Waller Creek en la ciudad de Austin, a partir de por lo menos 2004. La población parece limitada a Waller Creek porque aún no se ha encontrado en arroyos cercanos con hábitat similar. Observamos individuos in situ y en el laboratorio sobreviviendo en agua de 7°C, mucho más frio que la mínima tolerancia termal publicada, y reportamos su persistencia a través de uno de los inviernos más fríos en la historia de Austin. Su persistencia puede ser atribuida a una combinación de su tolerancia al frío y existencia de refugios termales. En el laboratorio, individuos comprados en una tienda local de acuario e individuos de Waller Creek mostraron la misma tolerancia al frío.

Since Barbour proposed sympatric speciation to explain evolution of silversides in the Lerma-Santiago basin, relatively little subsequent study has been done. We assessed foraging patterns of four sympatric silversides species (Chirostoma estor, Chirostoma grandocule, Chirostoma attenuatum and Chirostoma patzcuaro) in Lago de Pátzcuaro to understand resource partitioning and their sympatric coexistence. We assessed the abundance of invertebrate prey in three feeding habitats and measured physical and chemical habitat parameters at two study sites. Fish were collected during the wet (September 1987) and dry (March 1988) seasons; a total of 242 gut contents were analyzed. We evaluated the trophic guild of each species using the index of relative importance (IRI), prey selectivity with the Ivlev Electivity Index (E), dietary diversity using Shannon and Wiener diversity index (H’), and diet overlap using Morisita index. All silverside species were determined to be predaceous carnivores that feed mainly on nekton and periphyton. Dietary diversity and prey selectivity patterns were similar among species and diet overlap was \textgreater70%. Our data do not support the proposition that coexistence of these four fish species is maintained by dietary specialization. We hypothesize that sympatric coexistence of atherinopsids in Lago de Pátzcuaro is explained by food resource availability and ontogenetic variation in their diets. This study highlights the importance of analyzing ecological patterns and mechanisms as basic elements for designing conservation strategies of species flocks, especially under habitat loss and introduction of exotic species. Conservation efforts are urgent to preserve the rare evolutionary process of sympatric speciation (habitat segregation) that is occurring in other lakes in central Mexico, and probably already lost in the Lago de Pátzcuaro, as a result of poor management and inadequate conservation strategies.

Numerous published reports indicate that records of occurrence of Sharpnose Shiner, Notropis oxyrhynchus, in the Colorado River basin of Texas are the result of an introduction, though the species is clearly native in the adjacent Brazos River basin. We discovered previously mis-identified specimens of N. oxyrhynchus that extend the record of presence of the species in the Colorado basin much further back in time than previous authors realized, and conclude that the species was almost certainly native there. However, lack of the species in any of the many collections made in the basin over the last half century indicates a low probability that it still persists there.

Strategic conservation planning for broad, multi-species landscapes benefits from a data-driven approach that emphasizes persistence of all priority species populations and utilized landscapes, while simultaneously accounting for human uses. This study presents such an assessment for priority fishes of the Great Plains of the United States. Species distribution models for 28 priority fishes were created and incorporated into a prioritization framework using the open source software Zonation, accounting for species-specific connectivity needs and current fish habitat condition. Multiple additional assessments were then produced that i.) identify distinct species management units based on distance and compositional similarity of stream segments containing priority species, ii.) compare results of ranking species’ conservation values at the local (state) and global scale, and iii.) provide ‘bang-for-buck’ perspectives, emphasizing richness of priority species, at state and major basin scales. Together, these analyses are intended to aid managers in effective allocation of conservation action with regards to imperiled fishes of the Great Plains. Implementation of a broad-scale multi-species approach such as this complements traditional reactive management and restoration by encouraging cooperation and coordination among stakeholders and partners, increasing efficiency of future monitoring and management efforts.

We examined allelic variation at nuclear-encoded microsatellites and sequences of mitochondrial (mt)DNA in 10 geographic samples representing 6 nominal species of the cyprinid genus Dionda. Species of Dionda are found in springs and spring-fed headwaters in the southwestern United States and Mexico and are of particular interest to conservation and management, in part because of their limited distribution and habitat specificity, and in part as indicator species of habitat quality. All 10 samples examined appear to be discrete, demographically independent populations, with greater observed FST values between or among samples within species (0.123–0.280) than threshold values above which demographic independence is indicated. All 10 exhibited microsatellite and mtDNA variation comparable to or lower than that found in other cyprinids considered to be threatened or endangered; across microsatellites, average number of alleles across populations ranged from of 2.09 to 9.76, allelic richness from 2.24 to 8.45, and gene diversity from 0.0211 to 0.606; for mtDNA, the number of haplotypes across populations ranged from 1 to 14. Estimates of historical and present-day genetic demography indicated that all 10 populations have experienced order-of-magnitude declines in effective population size, with lower bounds of time intervals for the declines in 9 of the populations ranging from 6 to 65 years. Estimates of average long-term effective population size (536 in Dionda argentosa from San Felipe Creek to 2335 in D. texensis) and effective number of breeders (22 in D. flavipinnis from Fessenden Spring to 555 in D. diaboli from Devils River) also indicated recent declines in effective size, and at least 5 of the populations appear to have undergone recent, severe bottlenecks (mean Mc range 0.806–0.848, P value range 0.000–0.0350). The observation that all 10 populations are demographically independent indicates that local extirpations likely would not be replaced by new migrants and that loss of any of the populations would represent loss of a unique genetic entity. Conservation recommendations for each of the populations are briefly discussed.

Attempts to infer mating systems in wild fish populations can be limited by the logistics of locating nests and thoroughly sampling offspring and potential participants. Captive populations are more easily evaluated but may exhibit modified behavior. We used microsatellites (17 loci) to determine parentage among production offspring and infer the mating system of raceway spawning Guadalupe Bass Micropterus treculii, which are part of a supplemental stocking program. Offspring were collected over the course of two production seasons (n = 303 and 492). Spawning activity was nonrandom, with respect to location and time in most compartments, and individuals that spawned were significantly larger, by length and weight, than individuals that did not. During the first year of captivity, significantly fewer males (21 of 60) than females (49 of 61) spawned. Inequalities between the number of nest locations used and the numbers of spawning males and females suggest that males recruited females to spawning sites. While most spawning females (61%) participated with a single mate, most spawning males (90%) participated with multiple females and only 3% of mating pairs were monogamous. This predominantly polygynous mating system contrasts with the primarily monogamous systems of wild congeners and resulted in an effective number of breeders (Nb) less than 30% of the number of penned broodfish. Quarantining particularly prolific males to separate pens during the second year of captivity had little effect on mating behavior, as other males filled their roles. This represents the first documentation of mate choice and fidelity in Guadalupe Bass and provides a template for expected reproductive behavior in a standard hatchery setting. Understanding mating systems, including the effects of captivity on behavior, should enhance restoration efforts, particularly when supplemental stocking programs are involved.

Interspecific hybridization among micropterids was once thought to be rare but has been documented in several cases of North American endemics. Introduction of the nonnative Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu across Texas has threatened to eliminate the Guadalupe Bass M. treculii genome throughout its native range via introgression between the species. In 1992, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department began a stocking program in the Guadalupe River watershed to restore the genetic integrity of the local population. More than 600,000 hatchery-reared Guadalupe Bass fingerlings (\textasciitilde30 mm total length) were stocked in Johnson Creek over a 19-year period, and 360,000 fish were released in the North Fork, South Fork, and main-stem Guadalupe River over a 5-year period. Annual genetic monitoring indicated that hybridization significantly declined in all stream segments (P \textless 0.001) during the period of time when stocking occurred. Initially high hybridization rates (range, 20–100%; mean = 43.4%) were reduced to 0–24.2% (mean = 11.4%) at the termination of stocking. Linear regression indicated that hybridization in the North Fork and main-stem stream segments declined faster (9.0% per year) than all other test stream segments, whereas the South Fork Guadalupe River and upper Johnson Creek declined at 0.9% per year and lower Johnson Creek declined at 1.9% per year. Our data show that supplemental stocking is an effective approach to genetic restoration of compromised populations and should be considered as a viable management and conservation tool.

The Fishes of Texas Project (www.fishesoftexas.org) compiled Texas fish species occurrence records from 42 museum collections and applied rigorous quality control and data normalization/standardization to result in 124,415 specimen-based records collected between 1851 and 2010 by 5,924 collectors. Though Gulf of Mexico and estuarine records are included, manual georeferencing of localities focused primarily on inland (freshwater) Texas records, resulting in 88,348 records from 7,868 unique Texas inland localities, all with estimates of placement error. Though not all georeferenced, 8,460 marine (Gulf of Mexico) and 18,923 inland records from neighboring Mexican and U.S. states have been partially processed. All georeferenced records were plotted and 4,107 geographic outliers flagged as potential identification or location errors. Most flagged specimens, and often related original documentation, were examined and identifications corrected or confirmed. Data curation methodology is thoroughly documented in the website, where the dataset can be queried in diverse ways, mapped, and data downloaded. Also online are a large set of high quality fish images, collectors’ field notes, specimen photos, species distribution models derived from the data, accounts of species’ biology and ecology, and digital identification keys. Users can comment on any record and upload images, field notes and other documentation.

The Fishes of Texas Project (www.fishesoftexas.org) compiled Texas fish species occurrence records from 42 museum collections and applied rigorous quality control and data normalization/standardization to result in 124,415 specimen-based records collected between 1851 and 2010 by 5,924 collectors. Though Gulf of Mexico and estuarine records are included, manual georeferencing of localities focused primarily on inland (freshwater) Texas records, resulting in 88,348 records from 7,868 unique Texas inland localities, all with estimates of placement error. Though not all georeferenced, 8,460 marine (Gulf of Mexico) and 18,923 inland records from neighboring Mexican and U.S. states have been partially processed. All georeferenced records were plotted and 4,107 geographic outliers flagged as potential identification or location errors. Most flagged specimens, and often related original documentation, were examined and identifications corrected or confirmed. Data curation methodology is thoroughly documented in the website, where the dataset can be queried in diverse ways, mapped, and data downloaded. Also online are a large set of high quality fish images, collectors’ field notes, specimen photos, species distribution models derived from the data, accounts of species’ biology and ecology, and digital identification keys. Users can comment on any record and upload images, field notes and other documentation.

Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides ranges naturally in Mexico from the binational Rio Grande basin, including Cuatro Cienegas valley in the state of Coahuila, southward and eastward through two adjacent Gulf Coast drainages, the Rio San Fernando and Rio Soto La Marina in Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas. Within this range, Florida Bass M. floridanus has been introduced into reservoirs in at least the Rio Grande and Soto La Marina basins. To assess the conservation status of native Mexican bass, we study genetic variability within and among Largemouth Bass populations and the degree of genetic introgression by Florida Bass within them. We sampled numerous localities in Cuatro Cienegas, the San Fernando and Rio Soto La Marina basins, and Vicente Guerrero Reservoir, where Florida Bass was introduced. We examined restriction-fragment polymorphisms within the 12S and 16S ribosomal RNA mitochondrial DNA genes and genotypes at two allozyme and five microsatellite DNA loci. Levels of introgression were quantified by Bayesian assignment testing using the nuclear data. Largemouth Bass specimens possessed generally lower nuclear diversity, but higher mitochondrial diversity, than those of Florida Bass. Populations from Cuatro Cienegas differed from those in the San Fernando and Soto La Marina basins. Nuclear analyses revealed three genetically pure populations in Cuatro Cienegas (Charcos Prietos, Las Playitas, and Canal del Tio Julio), but hybrids in Rio Garabatal and Mojarral Este. Another presumably pure Largemouth Bass population was found in Rio El Tigre of the Soto La Marina drainage. Our results could be explained by geographic barriers, sex-biased dispersion, hybrid disadvantage, or selection for coadapted gene complexes. More extensive surveys are needed to fully assess the conservation status of native Largemouth Bass populations in Mexico. We anticipate that these will reveal additional native diversity. Meanwhile, the remnant native populations delineated herein are important to protect and we advocate that their ranges be managed as genetic conservation areas.

Read this work by Hendrickson D, at F1000Research.

Phylogenetic trees have historically been used to determine evolutionary relatedness between organisms. In the past few decades, as we’ve developed increasingly powerful computational algorithms and toolsets for performing analyses using phylogenetic methods, the use of these trees has expanded into other areas, including biodiversity informatics and geoinformatics. This report proposes using phylogenetic methods to create “fluviagenies” – trees that represent the effects of river fragmentation over time caused by damming. Faculty at the Center for Research in Water Resources at the University of Texas worked to develop tools and documentation for automating the creation of river segment codes (a.k.a., “fluvcodes”) based on spatiotemporal data. Python was used to generate fluviageny trees from lists of these codes. The resulting trees can be exported into the appropriate data format for use with various phylogenetics programs. The Fishes of Texas Database (fshesoftexas.org), a comprehensive geospatial database of Texas fish occurrences aggregated and normalized from 42 museum collections around the world, was employed to create an example of how this tool might be used to analyze and hypothesize changes in fish populations as a consequence of river fragmentation. Additionally, this paper serves to theorize and analyze past and future potential uses for phylogenetic trees in various other fields of informatics.

Rivers and streams of the southern United States contain more than 1,800 aquatic species, 500 of which are regionally endemic. At present, 34% of the fish species and 90% of the mussel species in peril nationwide are found in these systems. Declines in these imperiled species are due to many factors, including hydrologic alteration, degraded water quality, loss of instream and watershed connectivity, physical habitat degradation, and the negative effects of nonindigenous species (e.g., predation on, competition with, and hybridization with native forms). In addition, this situation is exacerbated through human population growth, competing water demands, land-use changes, and other interrelated issues. If unchecked, these issues will likely continue to contribute to the imperilment and loss of native species in the region. Of the nine described species and subspecies of black bass, six are endemic to the southern United States: Guadalupe Bass Micropterus treculii, Shoal Bass M cataractae, Redeye Bass M. coosae, Florida Bass M floridanus, Alabama Bass M henshalli, and Suwannee Bass M notius. In addition, undescribed species and subspecies also exist and all are in need of conservation measures to prevent them from becoming imperiled. In an effort to focus and coordinate actions to support the long-term persistence of endemic black bass populations, local, state, and federal agencies, universities, nongovernmental organizations, and corporations from across the region joined with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to form the Native Black Bass Initiative (NBBI). The NBBI provides regional conservation strategies, objectives, and targets to restore and preserve functional processes in those watersheds that support natural habitat conditions and sustainable populations of endemic black bass and other native fishes of the region. Initial actions implemented through the NBBI focus on addressing the conservation needs of Guadalupe Bass in streams of the Edwards Plateau ecoregion of Texas, Redeye Bass in the Savannah River watershed of Georgia and South Carolina, and Shoal Bass populations in the Apalachicola River watershed of Alabama, Florida, and Georgia.

Recent literature reviews of bioassessment methods raise questions about use of least-impacted reference sites to characterize natural conditions that no longer exist within contemporary landscapes. We explore an alternate approach for bioassessment that uses species site occupancy data from museum archives as input for species distribution models (SDMs) stacked to predict species assemblages of freshwater fishes in Texas. When data for estimating reference conditions are lacking, deviation between richness of contemporary versus modeled species assemblages could provide a means to infer relative biological integrity at appropriate spatial scales. We constructed SDMs for 100 freshwater fish species to compare predicted species assemblages to data on contemporary assemblages acquired by 4 independent surveys that sampled 269 sites. We then compared site-specific observed/predicted ratios of the number of species at sites to scores from a multimetric index of biotic integrity (IBI). Predicted numbers of species were moderately to strongly correlate with the numbers observed by the four surveys. We found significant, though weak, relationships between observed/predicted ratios and IBI scores. SDM-based assessments identified patterns of local assemblage change that were congruent with IBI inferences, however, modeling artifacts that likely contributed to over-prediction of species presence may restrict the stand-alone use of SDM-derived patterns for bioassessment and therefore warrant examination. Our results suggest that when extensive standardized survey data that includes reference sites are lacking, as is commonly the case, SDMs derived from generally much more readily available species site occupancy data could be used to provide a complementary tool for bioassessment.

Sharpnose shiner, Notropis oxyrhynchus, was recently listed as federally endangered  Known from the Brazos and Colorado Rivers, but Colorado population believed to be introduced and now extinct  Our species distribution models indicate sufficient habitat for the species to occur in the Colorado (Fig. 3).  Our previous work (Fig. 1) to verify cyprinid museum specimens in the Colorado indicate 5 records of N. oxyrhynchus collected from 1884 to 1955 strongly suggesting nativity of the species (or a morphologically similar form) Visual examination of specimens from the Colorado suggest distinctive morphological (shape) differences compared to Brazos specimens  We hypothesized Colorado population might be a separate or incipient species

Behavioral studies have often examined parental care by measuring phenotypic plasticity of behavior within a species. Phylogenetic studies have compared parental care among species, but only at broad categories (e.g., care vs. no care). Here we provide a detailed account that integrates phylogenetic analysis with quantitative behavioral data to better understand parental care behavior in the Cuatro Ciénegas cichlid, Herichthys minckleyi. We found that H. minckleyi occurs in a clade of sexually monochromatic or weakly dichromatic monogamous species, but that male and female H. minckleyi have dramatically different reproductive coloration patterns, likely as a result of sexual selection. Furthermore, we found that males are polygynous; large males guard large territories, and smaller males may attempt alternative mating tactics (sneaking). Finally, compared to the closely related monogamous Rio Grande cichlid, H. cyanoguttatus, males of H. minckleyi were present at their nests less often and performed lower rates of aggressive offspring defense, and females compensated for the absence of their mates by performing higher levels of offspring defense. Body color, mating system, and parental care in H. minckleyi appear to have evolved after it colonized Cuatro Ciénegas, and are likely a result of evolution in an isolated, stable environment.

On a recent afternoon at the University of Texas’ J.J. Pickle Research Campus, researcher Adam Cohen reached elbow deep into a bright blue barrel

A natural population of the Mexican blindcat, Prietella phreatophila Carranza 1954, previously known only from México, was documented in 2016 from a cave in the Amistad National Recreation Area in Texas. Occurrence of the species in Texas is consistent with other indicators of international interconnections of aquifers in this region under the Río Grande. Long listed as Endangered by the Mexican government, it was also listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as Endangered in 1970, and so the Texas population is fully protected under the Endangered Species Act as Endangered. As a result of the extremely low detectability of the species and very limited access to its habitat to sample, it is likely that the range of the species in both countries is broader than physical sampling of specimens has revealed. Here we review all previous knowledge of the species and its habitat and provide a reassessment of its overall conservation status and threats, most notably including aquifer depletion and contamination in both the Mexican and U.S. portions of its known range.

Substantive progress was made on all major Project Activities in this first year: Activity 1. Coordinate and Facilitate Science and Conservation Actions for Conserving Texas Biodiversity – We expanded and strengthened UT-TPWD coordination, transitioning the relationship between these partners into a much more collaborative one than was previously realized. The flow of data between TPWD and the Fishes of Texas Project (supported in part by this project) has become much more bi-directional. Many newly collected TPWD specimens, agency databases, legacy data products and reports, and feedback from resource managers are now beginning to contribute substantively to growth and diversity (now including non-specimen-vouchered records) of data served through the FoTX Project’s websites. Work on cleaning and normalizing of FoTX’s online specimen-vouchered database continued, and the updated FoTX occurrence and distribution data are being actively used. Most recently they were used by this project, together with expert (TPWD, UT and others’) opinions, to develop recommendations on conservation status of native fishes of Texas’ Species of Greatest Conservation Need for TPWD’s consideration in anticipated updates to the Texas Conservation Action Plan. Within two months of this report, a new and substantially larger and improved version of the FoTX website/database and related collection of images, field notes, and ancillary datasets, will be formally announced. Activity 2. Identify Priority Geographic Management Units for Conserving Fishes of Greatest Conservation Need – We used FoTX data in a systematic conservation area prioritization analysis to identify Native Fish Conservation Areas (NFCAs) for large portions of Texas where such comprehensive planning had not been previously carried out. Updated and new FoTX data for all Texas fish Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) were used in production of newly improved Species Distribution Models for input into this planning process, and the results of the planning exercise have already been integrated by TPWD into management prioritizations of both those species and the resultant NFCAs. Activity 3. Develop Monitoring and Conservation Plans for Native Fish Conservation Areas – Monitoring and conservation plans were delivered to TPWD for all NFCAs identified in Activity 2. Activity 4. Conduct Field-Based Surveys Detailed Biodiversity Assessments (i.e. Bioblitzing), and Citizen-Based Monitoring – Field surveys with detailed biodiversity assessments (“bioblitzes”) and citizen-based monitoring were conducted in three areas selected collaboratively by TPWD and FoTX Project staff from within the identified NFCAs: Nueces River headwaters, Big Cypress Bayou basin, and Village Creek basin. Along with this field effort, FoTX Project staff developed and circulated guidelines and best practices, and provided training for citizen-based monitoring that leverages iNaturalist for capture and reporting of photo-vouchered occurrence records in ways that will help assure scientifically useful data are obtained. All specimens acquired during these field efforts, and from many other routine specimen acquisitions from across the state (1845 total records/jars of specimens), were cataloged in the UT Fish Collection database. From there, these new records will soon be fed into GBIF, VertNet, FishNet2 and other major online data aggregators, including the online Fishes of Texas database.

American Eel is undoubtedly one of the most studied freshwater fishes of North America. Many recent discoveries have added new insights that re-write important aspects of the “text book” knowledge of the species’ complex life history in ways that could have significant impacts on management. Despite all of this new information, debate about the species’ conservation status continues, and new threats, such as continued habitat loss and major clandestine fisheries driven by extremely high value in the global market, have further complicated management. Though USFWS recently decided that the species does not merit listing as “Endangered,” in 2012 Canada changed that country’s assessment of the species’ status from “Special Concern” (since 2006) to “Threatened” and IUCN upped its classification in 2013 to “Endangered.” Ontario has considered it “Endangered” since 2007. All U.S. Atlantic states vowed to work together to produce, in 1999, the American Eel Benchmark Stock Assessment, which mandated each state conduct standardized monitoring of recruitment and later, mandatory catch and effort monitoring. Given all that activity and data generation, it is remarkable that still so little is known about the populations of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) and its tributary rivers that making any management decisions in that large, neglected part of the species’ range is virtually impossible. The Fishes of Texas Project team has been collating and improving the limited and scattered data on occurrences of the species in the region and concludes it important to promote a broad scale (Gulf of Mexico) collaborative community effort to acquire and share data and carefully curated specimens and, hopefully, develop a GOM-wide collaborative research and management plan like that implemented by Atlantic states. Here we’ll review the literature and state of knowledge about the species in Texas and GOM, and suggest ways to begin work toward such an effort.

Desert ecosystems are particularly susceptible to anthropogenic influences. This is especially true for desert aquatic systems where limited water resources can be easily impaired by excessive water mining depleting the underlying aquifers. Although the aquatic environments and their associated native fishes are declining throughout the Chihuahuan Desert, we will focus on examples from the Big Bend region, the Balmorhea Springs Complex, the Pecos River region, and the Devils River region. Ongoing and impending land use and water consumption patterns suggest even further reductions in the near future. Even though numerous conservation activities are underway, archaic Texas water laws must be revisited and reformulated if the desert aquatic systems are to be truly conserved for more than the immediate future.

Satan eurystomus Hubbs & Bailey 1947, the widemouth blindcat, is endemic to the deep Edwards Aquifer below San Antonio, TX. Monotypic Satan is one of four subterranean ictalurids, Trogloglanis pattersoni, Prietella pheatophila and P. lundbergi, that all exhibit common features of stygomorphs: loss of eyes and pigmentation, hypertrophy of some chemo and mechanosensory systems, small size, and variously reduced musculoskeletal system. Each species is distinctive in its own ways, and hypotheses about their phylogenetic positions range from separate ancestries of each scattered among the lineages of epigean ictalurids to exclusive monophyly of a strictly subterranean clade. Specimens of Satan are rare, thus we used highresolution CT scans to develop the first detailed, richly illustrated descriptive and comparative study of its skeleton. Satan exhibits typical and singular reductive features plus complex structures, e.g. 3 novel symphyses closing the posterior cranial fontanel; an unusually deep temporal fossa; and an ornately shaped dorsal fin locking spinelet. Satan shares 15 synapomorphies with other ictalurid troglobites: the stygomorphisms plus bone and joint reductions. Satan shares 11 synapomorphies with Pylodictis, including increased numbers of cephalic sensory pores and paired fin rays, and several features associated with predatory suction feeding: wide gape, depressed head, expanded branchiostegal and opercular membranes and anterior extension of epaxial muscle. Incomplete character information, including lack of molecular data for Satan and Trogloglanis, poor quality of available skeletal preparations for Trogloglanis and Prietella, and uncertain identifications of some specimens of Prietella impede construction of a complete dataset for phylogenetic analysis.

The Widemouth Blindcat, Satan eurystomus Hubbs and Bailey 1947, was the second of four stygobitic species of Ictaluridae discovered in the subterranean waters of southern Texas and northeastern Mexico. The skeletal anatomy of Satan has been scarcely known from a few, dated radiographs. Using additional radiographs and high resolution CT-datasets for two well-ossified specimens, we applied high-resolution X-ray computed tomography (HRXCT) to visualize, illustrate and describe the bony skeleton of Satan. We also provide an online archive of still and animated tomographic images of the skeletal anatomy of this little-known species. The skeleton and soft anatomy of Satan are distinctive. Twelve skeletal autapomorphies are described that singularly distinguish Satan within Ictaluridae and, probably in combination, from all other catfishes. Some of these are reductive losses or simplifications of skull bones (e.g. loss of one infraorbital bone; reduced ornamentation of the pterotic bone) and joint complexity (e.g. simple overlapping frontal-lateral ethmoid articulation; loosely ligamentous interopercle-posterior ceratohyal joint). Some of the autapomorphies are anatomically and perhaps developmentally complex (e.g. a novel series of three midline joints closing a middle span of the posterior cranial fontanel; a deeply excavated temporal fossa and an unusually enlarged interhyal bone). The tiny dorsal-fin spinelet (first lepidotrich) of Satan has a novel peaked and twisted shape. Ten apparent and exclusive synapomorphies within Ictaluridae gathered from this and previous studies suggest that Satan and Pylodictis are closest relatives. Most of these are functionally related to prey detection and suction feeding: fusion of the symphyseal mandibular sensory pores and increase in the number of preoperculo-mandibular canal pores; depressed, flattened heads and wide transverse mouths; prominent posterior process of the lateral ethmoid alongside and below the frontal bone margin; vertical and blade-like supraoccipital posterior process; unique arrangement of the parasagittal and occipital muscleattachment crests on the skull roof; large triangular panel of integument within the operculum framed by the opercle, preopercle and interopercle bones; elongated posterior ceratohyal; and, form of the fourth supraneural and loss of its anterior nuchal plate. In contrast, 15 synapomorphies recovered by Arce-H. et al. 2016, are confirmed suggesting that Satan is one of the four stygobitic ictalurids comprising a “Troglobites” subclade within the family: (Trogloglanis, Satan, Prietella phreatophila, P. lundbergi). These features include three stygomorphic and reductive apomorphies that are exclusive within Ictaluridae: loss of fully developed eyes and pigmentation, and simplification of the fifth vertebra and its joint with the Weberian apparatus. Twelve other synapomorphies shown by the Troglobites are also apparent homoplasies of character states shared with various other ictalurids. These include reductive characters such as shortened lateral line canal, reduced infraorbitals and underdeveloped or incomplete ossifications of the pterotic, supraoccipital, hyoid arch bones and transcapular ligament. Also, the Troglobites and various other ictalurids have: an adnate adiposecaudal fin, foreshortened anterior cranial fontanelle, reduced ventral wings of the frontal bone, replacement of bone by cartilage in hypohyal joints; incompletely ossified transcapular ligament, and consolidation of some hypural bones. Completing a full morphological character dataset across the Troglobites has been impeded by incomplete specimen preparations and study of P. lundbergi and to a lesser extent, P. phreatophila and Trogloglanis.

The Widemouth Blindcat, Satan eurystomus Hubbs and Bailey 1947, was the second of four stygobitic species of Ictaluridae discovered in the subterranean waters of southern Texas and northeastern Mexico. The skeletal anatomy of Satan has been scarcely known from a few, dated radiographs. Using additional radiographs and high resolution CT-datasets for two well-ossified specimens, we applied high-resolution X-ray computed tomography (HRXCT) to visualize, illustrate and describe the bony skeleton of Satan. We also provide an online archive of still and animated tomographic images of the skeletal anatomy of this little-known species. The skeleton and soft anatomy of Satan are distinctive. Twelve skeletal autapomorphies are described that singularly distinguish Satan within Ictaluridae and, probably in combination, from all other catfishes. Some of these are reductive losses or simplifications of skull bones (e.g. loss of one infraorbital bone; reduced ornamentation of the pterotic bone) and joint complexity (e.g. simple overlapping frontal-lateral ethmoid articulation; loosely ligamentous interopercle-posterior ceratohyal joint). Some of the autapomorphies are anatomically and perhaps developmentally complex (e.g. a novel series of three midline joints closing a middle span of the posterior cranial fontanel; a deeply excavated temporal fossa and an unusually enlarged interhyal bone). The tiny dorsal-fin spinelet (first lepidotrich) of Satan has a novel peaked and twisted shape. Ten apparent and exclusive synapomorphies within Ictaluridae gathered from this and previous studies suggest that Satan and Pylodictis are closest relatives. Most of these are functionally related to prey detection and suction feeding: fusion of the symphyseal mandibular sensory pores and increase in the number of preoperculo-mandibular canal pores; depressed, flattened heads and wide transverse mouths; prominent posterior process of the lateral ethmoid alongside and below the frontal bone margin; vertical and blade-like supraoccipital posterior process; unique arrangement of the parasagittal and occipital muscle-attachment crests on the skull roof; large triangular panel of integument within the operculum framed by the opercle, preopercle and interopercle bones; elongated posterior ceratohyal; and, form of the fourth supraneural and loss of its anterior nuchal plate. In contrast, fifteen synapomorphies recovered by Arce-H. et al. 2016, are confirmed suggesting that Satan is one of the four stygobitic ictalurids comprising a “Troglobites” subclade within the family: (Trogloglanis, Satan, Prietella phreatophila, P. lundbergi). These features include three stygomorphic and reduction apomorphies that are exclusive within Ictaluridae: loss of fully developed eyes and pigmentation, and simplification of the fifth vertebra and its joint with the Weberian apparatus. Twelve other synapomorphies shown by the Troglobites are also apparent homoplasies of character states shared with various other ictalurids. These include reductive characters such as shortened lateral line canal, reduced infraorbitals and underdeveloped or incomplete ossifications of the pterotic, supraoccipital, hyoid arch bones and transcapular ligament. Also, the Troglobites and various other ictalurids have: an adnate adipose-caudal fin, foreshortened anterior cranial fontanelle, reduced ventral wings of the frontal bone, replacement of bone by cartilage in hypohyal joints; incompletely ossified transcapular ligament, and consolidation of some hypural bones. Completing a full morphological character dataset across the Troglobites has been impeded by incomplete specimen preparations and study of P. lundbergi and to a lesser extent, P. phreatophila and Trogloglanis.

While the Yaqui Catfish, Ictalurus pricei, has a long history of listing and conservation interest, the still undescribed Chihuahua Catfish remains largely unknown to many working on fishes and aquatic resource management in its range. Like Yaqui Catfish, it is similar to the ubiquitous Channel Catfish, and until awareness is increased, it will remain understudied and with little protection. Also like Yaqui Catfish, hybridization with closely related species greatly confounds research and recovery efforts. Known only from an unfinished manuscript describing it, and many specimens identified cryptically (since it remains undescribed) as this species in a few collections’ databases, and occasional mentions in the literature, its historic distribution includes most of the Rio Grande/Bravo watershed (including all 3 major sub-basins (Conchos, Pecos, Grande/Bravo) and a relatively small area of the Gila River basin. It appears to be now very rare, and it appears to hybridize with both I. punctatus and I. lupus. Cytochrome b sequences obtained from one recently collected specimen from each the Gila basin and the Conchos basin in Chihuahua (at or very near the manuscript’s type locality), indicate two divergent haplotypes. The manuscript’s authors did not recognize that divergence, and considered it introduced in the Gila, so did not include specimens from there in their morphological analysis, but thought the form there to be introduced from the Río Grande/Pecos. We’ll here present images of specimens, and summarize the diagnostic characters known from the manuscript, though hybridization clearly confounds morphological diagnosis. All those collecting catfishes anywhere in the species’ broad range are asked to be aware of its existence, and to deposit large series of vouchers and tissues in museum collections for future efforts to better diagnose these rare fishes and conserve them.

Trout, salmon, grayling and whitefishes (Salmonidae) are among the most ecologically and economically important fishes. They also are among the most vulnerable to global warming, and increasing drought, floods, and wildfires. In North America, salmonids occur from central Mexico northward along coastal regions and mountainous interiors to the Arctic Plains. A variety of existing stressors have reduced population sizes and extent and fragmented habitats, making salmonid populations increasingly vulnerable to climate-driven disturbances. This contribution explores specific threats posed by climate change and suggests actions that can help these coldwater-dependent species adapt to an increasingly warm and uncertain future.

Discovery of the Mexican blindcat, Prietella phreatophila, in Texas in 2016 generated interest in the species, which had previously only been known from Mexico but is listed as a foreign endangered species in the US. Consequently, an effort was undertaken to conduct a conservation status assessment of the fish using standardized methods developed by NatureServe. These assessments aim to determine the extinction risk of species and produce conservation ranks, which can be used to inform listing statuses and policy decisions and to determine conservation priorities. The rank is determined by assessing factors in three main categories: rarity, threats, and trends. Here we used three rarity and one threat factor in the NatureServe rank calculator to determine the global conservation rank of P. phreatophila. Known occurrences were compiled, and the online tool GeoCAT (geospatial conservation assessment tool) was used to determine range extent and area of occupancy. Number of occurrences (e.g., populations) was estimated based on the spatial distribution of observations and their proximity to one another. Threat comprised scope, which was assessed in ArcGIS by intersecting the total area covered by a given threat with the known occurrence area of P. phreatophila, and severity, which was estimated based on expert opinion. The resulting conservation rank was G2 (globally imperiled; roughly equivalent to IUCN’s Vulnerable rank); however, complete data were not available for any factor thus motivating the need for further study. When new data are available, the rank can be easily updated with this new information using the rank calculator.

Mexican blindcat, Prietella phreatophila, described in 1954 from a cave system near the town of Múzquiz in central Coahuila state, and considered a Mexican endemic, was listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a foreign endangered species (protected “wherever found”) in 1970. Explorations in the 1990s discovered many new localities extending nearly to the international border, and in 2016 the species was discovered in Amistad National Recreation Area (ANRA) in Texas, just north of the international border near Del Rio. Not only does the discovery support the aquifer of this fish being an internationally shared resource, but the stygobitic invertebrate biota found with the fish indicates a potentially large extent of the aquifer, and thus possibly the fish, in Texas. Invertebrate faunal connections (historic or current) extend from the Amistad Lake area of the new occurrence west into the Trans-Pecos region and east into the Edwards Aquifer of central Texas. We explore implications of this for both water management and evolutionary history of this and other blind ictalurids, and suggest that population genetic studies of both stygobitic fishes and invertebrates could help hydrogeologists better define often difficult to map aquifer extents and interconnections. While NPS is continuing to support the cave explorations of ANRA that produced the Texas discovery, we propose a broader bi-national sampling effort for both the fish and invertebrates extending well beyond the current known distribution of P. phreatophila. We also pointed out questions about phylogenetic relatedness of P. phreatophila and P. lundbergi further south, as well as the possibility of a monophyletic clade of blindcats, including those of the Edwards Aquifer, Satan and Trogloglanis. If substantiated, that evolutionary history would imply broader historic inter-aquifer connections ranging from the San Antonio area as far south as southernmost Tamaulipas. Finally, we report establishment of a small captive population of Prietella phreatophila at San Antonio Zoo for research and possibly eventual conservation applications.

The endangered Mexican blindcat (Prietella phreatophila, Carranza 1954) is one of only four stygobitic ictalurid catfish in North America. Members of two monotypic genera (Satan eurystomus and Trogloglanis pattersoni) are known from the Edwards Aquifer in Texas and, until recently, Prietella (represented by P. lundbergi and P. phreatophila) was only known to occur in Mexico (northern Coahuila to southern Tamaulipas). The recent discovery of P. phreatophila in a cave on the Amistad National Recreation Area in Val Verde County, Texas is the result of decades of sporadic effort on both sides of the US/Mexican border and has stimulated a renewed effort to investigate the distribution, ecology, evolutionary history, and conservation status of this species. Collaborative efforts among The San Antonio Zoo, The University of Texas at Austin, Zara Environmental and The National Park Service are currently focused on habitat surveys in Texas as well as captive husbandry and propagation. Future efforts will include collaborators from the Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas, Área de Protección de Recursos Naturales Sabinas, and the Laboratorio de Genética para la Conservación, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, La Paz to conduct expanded fieldwork in Mexico, hydrogeologic studies, and surveys using environmental DNA.

This presentation reviews the current status of knowledge about the American Eel, its conservation status and distribution in Texas, and work in progress to learn more about the species in Texas.

Mexican blindcat, Prietella phreatophila, was described in 1954 from a single locality in Northern Coahuila, México. Long listed as endangered by the Mexican federal government, it was listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a foreign endangered species in 1970, and the most recent (1996) update of its assessment for the IUCN Red List considers it endangered as well. Explorations in the late 1990s discovered many new localities extending nearly to the international border, and a captive population established provided insights into the species’ basic biology and behavior. In 2016 the species was discovered in a cave in the Amistad National Recreation Area (ANRA), just north of the Río Grande in Texas. The 1970 listing instantly gave the TX population full protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The species’ subterranean and mostly inaccessible habitat endows it with extremely low detectability and its actual range is likely broader than physical sampling of specimens has revealed. We review all prior and new knowledge of the species and its habitat to provide an updated international reassessment of its overall conservation status and threats, which most notably include aquifer depletion and contamination in both the Mexican and U.S. portions of its known range. A live captive population of two specimens collected in 1997 in Coahuila and one Texas specimen is now at the San Antonio Zoo, we are working with NPS to further explore ANRA caves and hope eventually to return to Coahuila to more fully update the species’ conservation status.

Assessments of growth can provide information needed to understand how fish populations respond to changing environmental conditions and management actions, including ecosystem experimentation. We estimated growth rates and parameter uncertainty from otoliths of endangered Humpback Chub Gila cypha from the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Arizona. We then compared growth of Humpback Chub \textless age 2 that were 1) occupying the mainstem Colorado River during a period of variable discharge and cooler water temperatures (1980–1998; epoch 1), 2) occupying the Colorado River during a period of moderate discharge variability and warmer water (2001–2011; epoch 2), and 3) occupying the unregulated Little Colorado River. Because growth rates of juvenile Humpback Chub (\textless age 2) may be more sensitive to changes in environmental conditions than adult fish, we used analysis of covariance and linear models to compare growth of juvenile fish (slopes) between epochs and capture sites (mainstem Colorado River vs. Little Colorado River). Our analysis of covariance results were ambiguous (age × epoch × site interaction; P = 0.06). However, individual linear regressions of size and age by epoch and site suggest biologically important differences in growth, as evidenced by slower growth in the Colorado River in epoch 1 than in epoch 2, and slower growth in the Colorado River compared with the Little Colorado River for all time periods. Overall our results 1) provide information on growth and growth variability useful for parameterizing models to assess population viability and 2) provide empirical information on how growth of juvenile and adult Humpback Chub growth may respond to changing environmental conditions.

Desert ecosystems are particularly susceptible to anthropogenic influences. This is especially true for desert aquatic systems where limited water resources can be easily impaired by excessive water mining depleting the underlying aquifers. We discuss the decline of these aquatic environments throughout the Chihuahuan Desert region of Texas and present observations on the relationship between declining aquifer levels and the status of native fishes. Examples from the Big Bend region, the Balmorhea Springs Complex, the Pecos River region, and the Devils River region reveal a decline in distribution and abundance of native species (including extirpations and extinctions) resulting from declining water supplies. Ongoing and impending land use and water consumption patterns point to even further reductions in the near future. However, there are activities underway that offer some optimism in the region. Native Fish Conservation Areas are being developed to enhance management of these desert ecosystems in a way that provides functional watersheds with self-sustaining populations of native species. Increased awareness by landowners of the value of cooperative conservation of aquatic resources and mechanisms to include them in management decisions are critically important, particularly in Texas where the vast majority of land is privately owned. Ultimately, archaic Texas water laws need to be revisited and reformulated if the desert aquatic systems are to be truly conserved for more than the immediate future.

Compilation of basic occurrence records of American Eel in Texas revealed not only a general paucity of data, but also biases of different sources, and overall, inaccessibility of many different sources of useful records. Methodical searching, mining, normailization and basic data cleaning across a diversity of resources provided a much better picture of temporal and spatial occurrences of the species than had readily available sources. Similar data mining and sharing by all researchers and managers could greatly improve overall understanding of the species in the GoM and its tributaries, and help focus monitoring and research efforts.

Established in 1964, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has evolved to become the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species.

The Desert Fishes Council (DFC) is a non-profit (registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service in 1988) professional organization founded in 1969 with the mission of preserving “the biological integrity of desert aquatic ecosystems and their associated life forms, to hold symposia to report related research and management endeavors, and to effect rapid dissemination of information concerning activities of the Council and its members” (http://desertfishes.org). Fulfillment of that mission from the start included the production of a comprehensive report on all meeting activities (business meeting + abstracts of presented papers and posters) that was disseminated to the membership as the “Proceedings of the Desert Fishes Council”. After 20 years of production and editing by Phil Pister, in 1990, Dean Hendrickson assumed editorship, producing the 1990-1994 volumes. Starting with the 1992 content, the editorial workflow changed from paper originals to all content being digital from abstract submission through published digital annual volumes available from the DFC website, and the Proceedings were formally registered as a serial publication (ISSN 1068-0381). Gary Garrett served as editor for the 1995-1996 volumes, and Hendrickson and Garret co-edited the 1997-1998 volumes. Hendrickson and Lloyd Findley served as co-editors for 1999-2007, adding Spanish translations of all abstracts. Following a decision by the Executive Committee to cease translation after the 2007 volume, Hendrickson continued as sole editor from 2008 to present. From the beginning, bound hard copies of the Proceedings were mailed to DFC members and a variable number of selected, mostly academic libraries, but around 2000, distribution switched exclusively to email and downloading from the internet. Eventually, all pre-1992 Proceedings issues were scanned to PDFs which were made available from the website, but, with conversion of the workflow to abstract submission direct to an online database in 2008, the classical content of the Proceedings became fragmented, with minutes of the meetings published each year on the website and a separate online abstracts database. Thus, even as the 50th anniversary of the DFC approached, the historical content of its Proceedings, though all available in digital format, remained scattered across many different files and formats, making comprehensive searching of the complete content laborious. At the time of finalizing this abstract (October 2018) and the compiled file here described, post-2007 abstracts of papers presented at the meetings were searchable from the website via the online abstract database, and the 1992-2007 PDFs of the annual Proceedings (all originally digital content) were separately searchable by downloading the annual files into PDF reader programs. The 1969-1991 volumes were also each searchable in the same way, but their textual (searchable) content, the product of automated Optical Character Recognition (OCR) done when that technology was still young, had many errors. Here, we provide the first single, text-based PDF file that brings the entire history of the DFC together in one place. The newer OCR technology used in this file produced much better results with the older content than what is found in the separate PDFs on the DFC website, and single searches of this file now extend across the complete history of DFC to present, greatly improving the utility of the archive for historical and scientific research. It is hoped that as more new content is appended, updates of this file will be produced, that remaining OCR errors (though less prevalent than in the early volumes) can eventually be corrected, and that the post-2007 meeting minutes lacking in this file can also be added, making this now permanently archived and openly available file a one-stop resource for the large corpus of historical and scientific conservation-related research built by the 4 editors authoring this archive, and by all of the members of the DFC who contributed content over the first half century of DFC’s history.

Native Fish Conservation Areas of the southwestern USA consist of springs, ciénegas, creeks, rivers, and associated watersheds uniquely valued in preservation of freshwater fish diversity. These freshwater systems were identified through a spatial prioritization approach that identifies areas critically important to the long-term persistence of focal fish species. Through a shared mission of collaborative stewardship, conservation partnerships have formed among non-governmental organizations, universities, and state and federal agencies to plan and deliver actions to restore and preserve native freshwater fishes and aquatic habitats within the Native Fish Conservation Areas. Furthermore, the Native Fish Conservation Areas have increased awareness of the ecological, recreational, and economic values of freshwater systems in the region, and helped increase interest and capacity of local landowners, communities, and recreational users (e.g., paddlers, anglers) to act as advocates and local stewards of these systems. By facilitating partnership development, coordinating multi-species, watershed-based conservation planning, and leveraging technical and financial resources toward strategic conservation investments, Native Fish Conservation Areas have served as a catalyst for collaborative, science-based stewardship of native freshwater fishes and aquatic habitats in the southwestern USA. Efforts described herein to prioritize and deliver a network of Native Fish Conservation Areas in the southwestern USA offer a successful case study in multi-species and watershed approaches to freshwater fish conservation transferrable to other states and regions of the USA. This report offers a synthesis of recent (2011-2018) multi-species aquatic assessments, Native Fish Conservation Area prioritizations, conservation planning, and conservation delivery within the southwestern USA explicitly focused on implementation of the Native Fish Conservation Areas approach.

This database has roots in 4 previous compilations on ciénegas: 1) Hendrickson, Dean A., and W.L. Minckley. 1985. “Ciénegas – Vanishing Climax Communities of the American Southwest.” Desert Plants 6 (3): 131–75; 2) Minckley, T.A., D.S. Turner, and S.R. Weinstein. 2013. “The Relevance of Wetland Conservation in Arid Regions: A Re-Examination of Vanishing Communities in the American Southwest.” Journal of Arid Environments 88: 213–21. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2012.09.001; 3) Minckley, Thomas A., Andrea Brunelle, and Dale Turner. 2013. “Paleoenvironmental Framework for Understanding the Development, Stability, and State-Changes of Ciénegas in the American Deserts.” In RMRS-P-67: Merging Science and Management in a Rapidly Changing World: Biodiversity and Management of the Madrean Archipelago III and 7th Conference on Research and Resource Management in the Southwestern Deserts; 2012 May 1-5; Tucson, AZ, edited by Gerald J. Gottfried, Ffolliott, Brooke S. Gebow, Lane G. Eskew, and Loa C. Collins, RMS-P-67:77–83. Rocky Mountain Research Station Proceedings. Fort Collins, Colorado: : U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs\_p067.html; 4) Cole, A.T., and Cinda Cole. 2015. “An Overview of Aridland Ciénagas, with Proposals for Their Classification, Restoration, and Preservation.” In, Kathy Whiteman and William Norris (editors). Proceedings of the Fourth Natural History of the Gila Symposium, October 25–27, 2012. Western New Mexico University, Silver City, New Mexico. New Mexico Botanist Special Issue 4:28–56. http://gilasymposium.org/ and http://hdl.handle.net/2152/30285 (A static copy of the data from this paper is permanently archived, together with a copy of the complete paper, at http://hdl.handle.net/2152/30285, and the same static copy of the data are available in interactive (fusion table) format at https://www.google.com/fusiontables/DataSource?docid=1C6hbgWSgIPozfzO\_iFnefTERxp5rYoUAuT78XmYs). Now, this second fusion table-served database by Dean A. Hendrickson and Thomas A. Minckley implements the wishes of the Coles and Hendrickson as they began their collaboration. Here we combined the data from Cole and Cole (2015) and the data from Minckley et al 2013, as well as other data from our own knowledge bases and resources, and provide that content freely to the world (within constraints of the license on this fusion table) in this easily explored format. We are also implementing mechanisms to incorporate input of others to provide a dynamic, community-based, growing and constantly improving resource for the study and conservation of ciénegas. We hope that this database can now start to evolve and improve via contributions from a broader community of interested individuals. Since the initial compilation of Cole and Cole 2015 + Minckley at al 2013 (totaling 353 records), we have continued to sporadically add records as more information is provided to us (on Sept 13, 2018, record 366 was added). We hope to eventually add user-contributed photos and other improvements. In addition to data on occurrences and condition of ciénegas, we also have a shared, intermittently updated library of bibliographic metadata with links to publications (https://www.zotero.org/groups/north\_american\_cienegas). We invite users to contribute their bibliographic data, photos and pdfs to this collection, and to help us keep it, and this database, updated.

The primary aim of this grant was to work with Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD), Texas Advanced Computing Center (University of Texas at Austin), and other collaborators to (1) utilize Fishes of Texas Project (FoTX) data to aid in conservation of Texas fishes, (2) conduct field surveys in under-sampled areas of conservation interest, and (3) further develop the FoTX database and website as a research and management tool. While much of our work focused on Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN), almost everything we did was applied to all species, or affected data for all species. This report documents how FoTX’s specimen-based data were used to produce species distribution models that, in turn, fed into prioritization analyses that led to official creation of Native Fish Conservation Areas (NFCAs) that are now becoming the foundation of aquatic resource conservation prioritization and management in Texas. Our data were also used by TPWD staff to update the Texas Natural Diversity Database, previously depauperate for fish data, and to develop state and global conservation rankings for fishes using NatureServe’s standard methodology. Using FoTX data, we also developed recommendations for updating TPWD’s SGCN list, which will inform conservation in Texas for many years. We also expanded the scope of FoTX beyond Texas, throughout entire drainages, thus reducing biases and analytical complications related to our previous political boundary that lacked a biogeographical basis. We also added many new records from new types of data sources, especially agency databases that complement the museum specimen data to provide a more thorough, updated and unbiased dataset for analyzing temporal and spatial trends in fish faunas. The FoTX website’s checklists were improved in many ways to increase their utility to resource managers, and the site also now accesses occurrence data held in formerly inaccessible, but now digitized and easily accessed documents. We used diverse resources and our occurrence data to determine native ranges for all Texas fishes, and now visualize them in our website’s maps, so when viewed alongside occurrence data, users can more easily recognize and explore spatial and temporal trends. We focused another effort at understanding range changes through time, and produced dynamic graphs, that when fully implemented will update automatically as underlying data evolve, depicting and statistically describing locational and general range size changes through time. In addition to database and website work, we were also in the field alongside, and in close coordination with, TPWD staff, focusing on collecting areas previously lacking data, or where there were other conservation-related reasons for sampling. The resultant thousands of new specimens and tissue samples deposited and permanently housed in the University of Texas Biodiversity Collections now provide new, modern data points for ongoing conservation actions. In summary, this project allowed FoTX to continue to grow and diversify, moving away from focusing solely on archiving and improving the data to applying those data in diverse ways that maximize their value for conservation. The project also greatly increased collaborations between FoTX and TPWD staff, and inspired a Herps of Texas Project templated on the FoTX database schema and website, thus providing an efficient pathway for getting that project to a similar state, with the added advantage of a high level of inter-compatibility of most improvements across both sites. Our hope is that other projects, focusing on other taxa, continue to follow in our footsteps, allowing mutual benefit, and eventually query interfaces that provide users access to high quality data for entire ecological communities.

With 95% of the land in Texas privately owned, conservation of the aquatic resources is particularly daunting and is exemplified by the fact that 48% of the 191 native freshwater fishes in Texas are now of conservation concern. Partnerships with private landowners is not only sensible, but often the only way to achieve long-term conservation goals. In the Chihuahuan Desert region of Texas, 55% of the native fishes are of conservation concern or already lost to extirpation or extinction. Although there are numerous contributing factors, habitat degradation and loss are the primary culprits. For decades, research and restoration have focused on some of the more imperiled species and their habitats. From reestablishing ciénegas, to landowner partnerships, to Conservation Agreements, much has been accomplished. Unfortunately, the challenges increase faster than our accomplishments. Our latest, and most promising, approach has been to develop six Native Fish Conservation Areas in the Chihuahuan Desert. These NFCAs represent an ecologically-focused conservation prioritization of watershed segments that serve as native fish “strongholds” and they function as priority areas for conservation investments to promote integrated, holistic conservation strategies that enable the long-term persistence of freshwater biodiversity. Current and future conservation of aquatic resources in Texas emphasizes a landscape-scale approach, working primarily with private landowners to provide conservation best management practices and support on-the-ground projects to maintain or restore habitats to sustain functional ecosystems.

Established in 1964, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has evolved to become the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species.

Established in 1964, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has evolved to become the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species.

Established in 1964, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has evolved to become the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species.

We designed and tested environmental-DNA (eDNA) probes to identify the presence of species of groundwater salamanders (genus Eurycea) and the Mexican blindcat (Prietella phreatophila) from environmental samples. Environmental samples were screened for the target species using the eDNA probes and quantitative PCR (qPCR). Custom probes were designed to amplify species-specific regions of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. A new cytochrome b gene tree was created to ensure full probe coverage of all the recently revised central Texas Eurycea species. Probes were optimized and tested on tissue samples of Eurycea and P. phreatophila species. We developed successful probes for each of the described, as well as the known but undescribed, species of central Texas Eurycea (is a few cases, one probes detects a few closely related species), and for P. phreatophila. We confirmed that these probes are highly species-specific, so they can be used not just for detection of Eurycea, but for species identication. Twenty-six sites across central Texas and Coahuila, Mexico, were subjected to water sampling for the purposes of environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis. These springs, caves, and wells were potential sites for karst aquifer-dwelling salamanders (genus Eurycea) and Mexican blindcat (Prietella phreatophila). To detect the presence of these rare species, volumes of water were pumped through a fine filter which was returned to a lab at the University of Texas – Austin. A DNA extraction was promptly performed on each filter to yield an eDNA sample. The presence of P. phreatophila was detected at a known site for the species in Val Verde County, Texas, validating both the detection method and the molecular probe. Eurycea sp. 1 was detected at a new spring for the species close to a known sample site. An additional positive control site was Eliza Spring of the Barton Springs complex, where E. sosorum was detected. However, we did not detect the target species at several other sites of known occurrence. We conclude that positive results (the presence of a species) are meaningful (we detected no false negatives), but negative results (no species detection) do not necessarily mean that the target species is not present (we did sample known localities for the target species that produced false negatives).

Established in 1964, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has evolved to become the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species.

Established in 1964, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has evolved to become the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species.

Established in 1964, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has evolved to become the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species.

Established in 1964, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has evolved to become the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species.

TAXONOMIC NOTES The taxon Oncorhynchus chrysogaster currently includes the drainages of the ríos Fuerte, Sinaloa, and Culiacán. Here we treat only the Río Fuerte subpopulations as O. chrysogaster. Sinaloa and Culiacán subpopulations are different phenotypically from each other and from those subpopulations in the Fuerte watershed. JUSTIFICATION This species is known from a number of localities within the Urique, Loera, and Verde sub-basins in Chihuahua, Mexico. Its extent of occurrence (EOO) is estimated to be 3,289 km² and its area of occupancy (AOO) is estimated to be 44 km². Anecdotal evidence suggests population decline and possible extirpation in some areas where this species. However, it is still considered common in the Río Verde and Loera sub-basins. Primary threats include deforestation, livestock overgrazing, hybridization with Rainbow Trout, and localized fishing pressure. Therefore, this species is assessed as Near Threatened (NT) because it meets the threshold for a threatened category under B1 and B2 and there is evidence of continuing decline in the area, extent, and quality of available habitat, but it occurs in more than 10 locations, the population is not severely fragmented, and currently there is no evidence of major range-wide population decline. GEOGRAPHIC RANGE INFORMATION This species is known from 22 localities and more than 10 locations in the sub-basins Urique, Loera, and Verde in Chihuahua, Mexico. It is found in headwater streams of all three sub-basins and in the mainstem of the Río Verde above about 1,900 m. The Río Verde and its tributaries have the largest populations of this trout. Arroyo las Truchas in the Loera basin also has a strong population. Extent of occurrence (EOO) for the species is estimated to be 3,289 km² and area of occupancy (AOO) is estimated to be 44 km². The population is not considered to be severely fragmented. POPULATION INFORMATION Total population size is unknown for this species. Range-wide population trend is unknown, but it is suspected to be declining at a rate that precludes this species from being assessed in a threatened category under criterion A. Mexican Golden Trout are rare and possibly have been eliminated from the upper Urique basin. Trout in the Los Loera system are common in the Arroyo las Truchas, but other streams in that area have not been surveyed. The Río Verde sub-basin populations appear to be stable. Trout are rare in Arroyo San Vincente, and appear different phenotypically from the rest of the basin. The Río Verde and its tributaries have the largest populations of this trout. Arroyo las Truchas in the Loera basin also has a strong population. HABITAT AND ECOLOGY INFORMATION Mexican Golden Trout prefers cold, clear streams above 1,900 m altitude. Their preference appears to be for deeper water beneath boulders and undercuts. Spawning individuals have been taken in mid-February. The specific habitat uses, basic life history, and basic ecology of this species are uncertain and require additional research. THREATS INFORMATION There are multiple threats to the Mexican Golden Trout. Habitat degradation from the effects of overgrazing and logging is principal. These activities cause siltation and warming of the stream waters, and increase flash flooding which can disturb spawning regimens. The Río Verde populations are easily accessed from the highway and are subject to exploitation by anglers. Grow-out facilities in the Fuerte basin are common and Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) escape from these operations is likely to lead to introgression. To date we have not collected any Mexican Golden Trout that we suspected were hybridized with Rainbow Trout. Future genetic introgression with Rainbow Trout is expected, given government initiatives that promote the development of hatcheries within the region. USE AND TRADE INFORMATION This species is not traded. It is occasionally targeted in subsistence and sport fisheries. However, the magnitude of harvest is unknown. CONSERVATION ACTIONS INFORMATION Currently there are no species-specific conservation measures directed towards Mexican Golden Trout. Recommended conservation actions include implementation of harvest limits in the Rio Verde, and education and encouragement of of cattle ranchers to reduce accessibility to riparian vegetation. More information regarding population size, population trend, and the impacts of major threats would be useful in guiding future conservation action.

TAXONOMIC NOTES There is evidence that most populations of native Acaponeta trout are likely to be introgressed with Rainbow Trout. JUSTIFICATION This species is known only from the headwaters of four streams (arroyos los Metates, Cebollas, Tanquecitos, and Las Moras) at high elevation in the Sierra Madre Occidental, Durango, Mexico. Severe population fragmentation is likely, given the most widespread and major threat to this species is genetic introgression with Rainbow Trout. Its area of occupancy (AOO) and extent of occurrence (EOO) are both highly restricted and this species is not thought to occur in more than four locations. Decline in the number of mature individuals, as well as continued decline in EOO and AOO are inferred. As such, this species is listed as Critically Endangered (CR) under criterion B2ab(i,ii,iii,v). GEOGRAPHIC RANGE INFORMATION This species is known only from the headwaters of four streams (arroyos los Metates, Cebollas, Tanquecitos, and Las Moras) at high elevation in the Sierra Madre Occidental, Durango, Mexico. Area of occupancy (AOO) for the species is estimated at 8 km² and its extent of occurrence (EOO) is estimated at 187 km², based on available georeferenced point records. Both EOO and AOO are inferred to be in decline due to introgression with Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). This species occurs at four locations, given that the spread of Rainbow Trout is likely to affect each stream separately. POPULATION INFORMATION There is no information regarding trends of the populations. This species was common at Tanquecitos and las Cebollas. Given its highly restricted range, total population size is suspected to be small. HABITAT AND ECOLOGY INFORMATION This species occurs only in headwater streams in the Río Acaponeta watershed. Elevation of habitat ranges from 2,300-2,800 m asl. The specific habitat uses, basic life history, and basic ecology of this species are uncertain and require additional research. THREATS INFORMATION The unique phenotype of the Acaponeta trout shows the population to have a native component that is in danger of introgression with Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Future genetic introgression with Rainbow Trout is expected, given government initiatives that promote the development of hatcheries within the region. USE AND TRADE INFORMATION This species is not utilized. CONSERVATION ACTIONS INFORMATION There are no conservation actions currently in place. Education of the populace about the native trout regarding the potential impact of introgression may be an effective course of action. Additionally, more research regarding distribution, population size, and population trend would be useful in guiding future conservation action.

TAXONOMIC NOTES The Culiacán Trout is phenotypically and meristically distinct from Oncorhynchus chrysogaster in the rios Fuerte and Sinaloa. JUSTIFICATION The Culiacán trout is restricted to headwater streams in the Río Culiacán basin, Chihuahua and Durango, Mexico and occurs in no more than six locations. This species can be locally common, however, collection localities are few and far between. Localized threats include logging and livestock grazing, both of which have resulted in a continued decline in the extent, area, and quality of available habitat. Subpopulations are fragmented and cannot intermix due to thermal barriers in main river channels. Total population size has been severely diminished in the last 40 years and continuing decline in the number of mature individuals is inferred, but exact estimates of decline are unknown. Its extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occupancy (AOO) are both highly restricted. Therefore, this species is assessed as Endangered (EN) under criterion B1ab(i,ii,iii,v)+2ab(i,ii,iii,v). GEOGRAPHIC RANGE INFORMATION This species is restricted to headwater tributaries in the Río Culiacán basin. It is most common in arroyos Agua Blanca, El Desecho, and El Río. Extent of occurrence (EOO) for this species is estimated to be 207 km² and area of occupancy (AOO) is estimated to be 14 km², based on current collection records. Continued decline of both EOO and AOO is inferred, based on a reduction in the quality, area, and extent of suitable habitat. This species occurs in fewer than 10 subpopulations and is restricted to no more than six locations. Habitat is restricted to elevations between 2,300-2,800 m asl. POPULATION INFORMATION There is no information available about population trends as no collection sites have been revisited in recent years. This species can be locally common, however, collection localities are few and far between. Total population size is suspected to be less than 1000 with approximately 200 individuals in the largest subpopulation.. Thermal barriers in the mainstem rivers prevent movement of the trout between headwater streams, and therefore subpopulations are considered severely fragmented. HABITAT AND ECOLOGY INFORMATION Virtually nothing is known of the biology of this species. They inhabit clear, cold headwater streams, particularly between 2,300-2,800 m asl. THREATS INFORMATION Localized threats include deforestation of the watershed through logging/road building and grazing of livestock in the riparian. These threats have resulted in an observed reduction in the area, extent, and quality of suitable habitat. Logging and grazing increase silt loads in the stream and decrease clarity of the water and have the potential to smother spawning gravels. Future genetic introgression with rainbow trout is expected, given government initiatives that promote the development of hatcheries within the region. USE AND TRADE INFORMATION This species is not utilized. CONSERVATION ACTIONS INFORMATION There are currently no known conservation actions in place. Education of the local people about the native trout is likely to be the most effective from of mitigation. Additionally, more research regarding distribution, total population size, population trend, and the magnitude of threats would be useful in guiding future conservation action.

TAXONOMIC NOTES The Mayo trout is most closely related to the Yaqui trout. JUSTIFICATION The Mayo Trout is restricted to four streams (13 collection localities) and is abundant only in one location. This location is a headwater stream that is threatened by mining interests. Additional threats include subsistence harvest, human encroachment, and subsequent declines in water quality and habitat availability. Subpopulations are fragmented and cannot intermix. Total population size has been severely diminished in the last 40 years and continuing decline in the number of mature individuals is inferred, but exact estimates of decline are unknown. Its extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occupancy (AOO) are both highly restricted. Therefore, this species is assessed as Endangered (EN) under criterion B1ab(i,ii,iii,v)+2ab(i,ii,iii,v). GEOGRAPHIC RANGE INFORMATION This species is restricted to small streams above Basaseachi falls, and to a few headwater streams (above 2,000 m) that intersect the Río Mayo below the falls. One individual was collected below Basaseachi in 2008 (L. Findley Pers. Comm. 2008). Arroyo El Concheño appears to have the strongest population. Extent of occurrence (EOO) for the species is estimated to be 240 km² and area of occupancy (AOO) is estimated to be 26 km²; both are inferred to be declining due to adjacent mining activity, human encroachment, subsistence harvest, and reductions in habitat quality. This species is reported from 13 collection localities. However, threats are acting at the stream scale and the number of locations is unlikely to exceed four. POPULATION INFORMATION The Mayo Trout is rare throughout its range. Cursory surveys show it to be common only in Arroyo El Concheño. The species is decreasing in abundance above Basaseachi falls because of developments and encroachment of civilization. Severe fragmentation is inferred based on habitat type and dispersal ability. HABITAT AND ECOLOGY INFORMATION The Mayo Trout needs cold, clear water. Virtually nothing is known of the spawning habits or behavior of this species. THREATS INFORMATION Mining is a threat to the Mayo Trout in Arroyo El Concheño. Effluent from new mining efforts have killed much of the aquatic life immediately downstream of a mine on El Concheño. There are still trout immediately above a waterfall that is adjacent to the mine. Mayo trout are uncommon above Basaseachi falls, are absent from the mainstem of the river, and are decreasing in the headwaters due to encroaching civilization and developments along the streams. Water quality and catch from local anglers are affecting the populations. Future genetic introgression with rainbow trout is expected, given government initiatives that promote the development of hatcheries within the region. USE AND TRADE INFORMATION This species may occasionally be taken in subsistence fisheries. CONSERVATION ACTIONS INFORMATION There are currently no conservation actions in place. It is imperative that mining not be expanded on Arroyo El Concheño. Education of the local populace may be of help in preserving the small populations above Basaseachi. Additionally, more research regarding distribution, population size, population trend, life history and ecology, and the magnitude of threatening factors will be useful in guiding future conservation action.

TAXONOMIC NOTES Undescribed species. Affinity appears to be with Yaqui trout in the adjacent basin, but genetic work shows this trout to be unique. JUSTIFICATION Extensive surveys show the trout to occupy only one section of a tiny headwater stream in the Hojasichi sub-basin of the Río Conchos. Habitat is evidently restricted to 1 km of stream and the population has not expanded its range in the past 14 years, despite some protections. the total population size is unlikely to exceed 250 individuals. Threats include fishing pressures, livestock overgrazing, and inbreeding. Given its highly restricted extent of occurrence and area of occupancy, an observed decline in the area, extent, and quality of available habitat in the recent past, and expected future declines, this species is assessed as Critically Endangered (CR) under criterion B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii). GEOGRAPHIC RANGE INFORMATION This species is currently known from about 1 km of stream in the Hojasichi sub-basin of the Río Conchos. Its extent of occurrence (EOO) does not exceed 2.33 km² (although for the purpose of the Red List assessment, this measurement is raised to 4 km² to ensure the EOO is not smaller than the area of occupancy). Its area of occupancy (AOO) is 4 km² (but the actual area occupied by the species does not exceed 2 km²). It occurs in one location. John Woodhouse Audubon (1906) mentioned trout in the Conchos basin seen during his 1849 overland trip through Chihuahua. POPULATION INFORMATION Pennington (1963) described a fish which could only be referred to trout, while studying the culture of the Rarámuri near Sisoguichi. Anecdotal reports of “aparique” (trout) are frequently reported by the indigenous Rarámuri, but they typically mention that they haven’t seen the fish for 10 or 20 years. Flechsig noted that residents of Panalachi told him of existence of a trout but were unable to produce the fish because of severe drought in the early 1950s (A. Flechsig Pers. Comm. 2004). We found native trout in 2005 near Panalachi, but subsequent trips to that site over the next 11 years failed to produce any trout. A tiny population was found in a remote stream to the north of Panalachi in 2006. That population is restricted to about 1 km of stream in a remote area, but appears not to be expanding it’s range, and is the only known population of this species despite repeated efforts to find more. Total population size is unlikely to exceed 250 mature individuals. HABITAT AND ECOLOGY INFORMATION This species is currently thought to be restricted to a single headwater stream in the northern Río Conchos, excluding the Río Balleza sub-basin. Historical reports suggest it was more widespread in the upper Conchos proper. The single location where this species occurs is between an elevation of 2350-2400 masl. Basic life history and basic ecology are uncertain and require additional research. THREATS INFORMATION Historical declines are the result of overfishing, particularly anglers that take the fish by poisoning the waters, either with clorox, lime, or poisonous roots. Overgrazing by livestock has degraded stream banks and helped to eliminate the fish from most of its former range. Currently, these are not considered major threats to this population because access to the public and livestock is restricted. However, a recent trip showing some fish with a severe overbite suggests that the population has become inbred. Use of detergents in the streams by native peoples washing clothes may also have contributed to the reduction in range of this species. Future genetic introgression with rainbow trout is expected, given government initiatives that promote the development of hatcheries within the region. USE AND TRADE INFORMATION Historically, this species was targeted by subsistence fisheries through the use of clorox, lime, and other indiscriminate fishing methods. Currently, there is no known trade in this taxon. CONSERVATION ACTIONS INFORMATION Currently the species is known to subsist only in one stream, a northerly flowing tributary to the Río Hojasichi. Sections of this stream are crudely fenced with barbed wire to keep livestock out of the riparian, and there is currently a “streamkeeper” (hired by the WWF) that lives on the stream to control public access. Continued site protection is imperative to the survival of this species. Future conservation should seek to employ habitat restoration, species recovery, and education and awareness initiatives.

TAXONOMIC NOTES The Yaqui Trout is the only native salmonid in the Río Yaqui watershed. There is some evidence that the Yaqui trout in the Bavispe, Papigochi and the Tutuaca sub-basins are differentiated from each other phentotypically. Rainbow trout are raised as food in grow-out facilities in the Yaqui basin, and have escaped into the wild. Hybridization with the Yaqui trout has occurred but is of localized occurrence. JUSTIFICATION The Yaqui Trout occurs in a number of locations throughout the Yaqui and Guzmán basins at elevations ranging from 1,600-2,200 m above sea level. Extent of occurrence (EOO) for this species is estimated to be 7,339 km² and area of occupancy (AOO) is estimated to be 120 km². Population size is unknown, but presumably exceeds 10,000. Population trend is suspected to be stable or declining at a rate that precludes this species from being listed under a threatened category under criterion A. Subpopulations are not considered fragmented, given a higher thermal tolerance when compared to close congeners, and the ability to disperse through thermal barriers in lower elevation, mainstem rivers. Localized threats include deforestation and livestock overgrazing which have resulted in increased runoff, siltation, and higher stream temperatures, hybridization with rainbow trout, and mild fishing pressure. However, many of the localities where this species occurs are isolated and difficult to access. Therefore, this species is assessed as Near Threatened (NT), because it meets the thresholds for a threatened category under criteria B1 and B2 and there is evidence of decline in the area, extent and quality of habitat, but it occurs in greater than 10 localities and subpopulations are not fragmented. GEOGRAPHIC RANGE INFORMATION Yaqui Trout are common in the Bavispe and Tutuaca sub-basins, and in tributaries of the Río Tomochi (Papigochi sub-basin). The Bavispe has more than a dozen arroyos with strong and stable populations with Arroyo Yenquin and Arroyo Nutria being among the best. Habitat extends from headwaters to about 1,600 m asl. In general, the watershed appears to be among the best in Chihuahua/Sonora from an overall management perspective. Extent of occurrence (EOO) for this species is estimated to be 7,339 km² and area of occupancy is estimated to be 120 km², based on known collection localities. Threats are localized and expected to affect localities independently. Therefore, the number of locations where this species occurs exceeds 10. POPULATION INFORMATION Total population size is unknown but presumably exceeds 10,000. Population trend is suspected to be stable or slowly declining, principally because the watershed is sparsely settled and there is not a lot of fishing pressure on the species. A “duplicate” subpopulation exists in the Guzman basin to the east, having been transplanted there from the Bavispe sub-basin in the early 1900s. Subpopulations are not considered fragmented, given an potentially higher thermal tolerance for warm water and capabilities to disperse through and even live within lower elevation mainstem rivers. HABITAT AND ECOLOGY INFORMATION This species typically occupies small, cold water tributaries with northerly or eastward flow. Major tributaries are often thermal barriers to dispersal for close congeners. However, because the Yaqui trout may exhibit some tolerance to warmer waters, it is occasionally found in mainstem rivers such as rios Tomochi and Gavilan at lower altitudes (1,600 m asl). Basic life history and basic ecology are uncertain and require additional research. THREATS INFORMATION The principal threat to Yaqui Trout is logging and associated runoff. While there is no known instance of clear cutting in the area, extensive logging in the mid-1900s prompted Aldo Starker Leopold to remark that the Río Gavilan had undergone extensive degradation, including sawdust in runoff and flash flooding. Removal of streamside trees also contributes to warming of the stream waters. Trout generally require higher dissolved oxygen than other native fishes, and are therefore particularly susceptible to warming waters. Some pastures are overgrazed which also contributes to flash flooding of streams and rivers and can interrupt spawning and decrease visibility in the streams. Hybridization with non-native Rainbow Trout is a concern, and could eventually lead to widespread introgression. Currently, hybrids are uncommon and are localized near grow-out facilities for Rainbow Trout. Future genetic introgression with rainbow trout is expected, given government initiatives that promote the development of hatcheries within the region. USE AND TRADE INFORMATION There is no known trade of the taxon. It is occasionally targeted in subsistence fisheries. However, fishing pressure at these localities is low because human development is sparse and localities are sometimes remote. CONSERVATION ACTIONS INFORMATION There are currently no species-specific conservation actions in place. Good forest management (e.g. selective logging) is recommended. Reductions in cattle stocking densities would help mitigate the effects of rapid runoff and higher silt loads in the runoff.

TAXONOMIC NOTES The Piaxtla Trout is the closest relative to the San Lorenzo trout, but is phenotypically distinct and Escalante et al. (2015) report genetic differences. JUSTIFICATION This species is restricted to few headwater streams of the Río Piaxtla drainage between 2,100-2,700 m asl in Durango, Mexico. While its extent of occurrence and area of occupancy are both restricted, this species appears to be abundant where it occurs and population status is suspected to be stable. There are no known major pervasive threats. Therefore, this species is assessed as Near Threatened because it meets the threshold for a threatened category under criteria B1 and B2, subpopulations are likely severely restricted, but there is no indication of major population or habitat decline. GEOGRAPHIC RANGE INFORMATION This species is found in a few headwater streams of the Río Piaxtla drainage between 2,100-2,700 m asl. The largest populations appear to be in Arroyo El Granizo, Arroyo Santa Barbara, and Arroyo de la Plazuela. Extent of Occurrence (EOO) for this species is estimated to be 334 km² and area of occupancy (AOO) is unlikely to exceed 10 km. Threats are expected to act independently on stream headwaters, therefore the number is locations is expected to be fewer than 10. Distribution is not considered to be very restricted, given a lack of major plausible threats with the capacity to drive this species towards extinction within a short period of time. There is one instance of intra-basin transfer of Piaxtla Trout to a fishless stream. However, the status of that introduction is unknown. POPULATION INFORMATION This species appears to be locally abundant at the few collection localities where it occurs. Current population trend is suspected to be stable. However, populations are inferred to be severely restricted, given they do not occur in main river reaches and likely encounter thermal barriers that limit the dispersal of individuals between headwater reaches. HABITAT AND ECOLOGY INFORMATION The Piaxtla Trout occupies cold and clear headwater streams. Virtually nothing is known of its reproductive or behavioural traits. THREATS INFORMATION Currently, there are no known major pervasive threats to this species. There are no known grow-out facilities for rainbow trout in the Piaxtla basin. However, future genetic introgression with Rainbow Trout is expected, given government initiatives that promote the development of hatcheries. Sportfishing occurs in the basin but is not thought to present a major threat at this time. USE AND TRADE INFORMATION There is no known trade in the taxon. CONSERVATION ACTIONS INFORMATION There are no known conservation actions in place at this time. Education of the local populace about the native trout is recommended. More research regarding distribution, population size, population status, and the impacts of potential threats would be useful in guiding future conservation action.

TAXONOMIC NOTES Hendrickson and Tomelleri (In Press) discussed the provenance of trout in the Presidio basin, and determined that trout were indeed native to the drainage. JUSTIFICATION This species historically occurred in isolated headwater streams of the Río del Presidio. Based on current collection records, this species exhibits a restricted extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occupancy (AOO). Recent collections show strong introgression in the watershed. More collections need to be made to determine the range and purity of remaining populations. Native trout from Arroyo Hondo (Quebrada de Vega) were historically abundant, but collections from 2004 show that stream to be compromised by Rainbow trout. Therefore, it is uncertain if this species still exists in pure form. As such, it is assessed as Data Deficient (DD) until more information regarding the distribution, populations status, and magnitude of introgression is available. GEOGRAPHIC RANGE INFORMATION Trout occur sporadically throughout the Río del Presidio in isolated headwater streams. It is unknown at this time which populations represent pure Presidio Trout. POPULATION INFORMATION Trout are locally common in isolated populations. However, it is not known which, if any of these populations represent pure Presidio trout populations. Trout were first collected from the Presidio watershed in 1906 by Walter C. Bishop (Needham and Gard, 1959). Later collections were made by Ralph G. Miller in 1946, and by “P.R. Needham and party” in 1952. Subsequent collections in the 2000s are suspected to show strong signs of introgression and lead to doubts as to whether any of these recent collections represent pure native Presidio trout. HABITAT AND ECOLOGY INFORMATION This species occurs in cold and clear headwater arroyos and canyons in the upper Río del Presidio watershed. Elevation ranges from 1800-2700 masl. Basic life history and basic ecology are uncertain and require additional research. THREATS INFORMATION The principal threat of overriding concern is hybridization with rainbow trout. There is uncertainty regarding the extent of introgression in the various subpopulations, but introgression is suspected to be widespread throughout the watershed (Escalante et al. 2014). Future genetic introgression with rainbow trout is expected, given government initiatives that promote the development of hatcheries within the region. USE AND TRADE INFORMATION There is no known trade in the taxon. CONSERVATION ACTIONS INFORMATION There are no species-specific conservation actions in place. The prevalence of hatcheries and grow-out facilities in the Presidio watershed present an obstacle to recovery. To conserve this species, it is necessary to document a pure lineage of Presidio trout and use it as a founder population for subsequent reintroductions. More research regarding taxonomy, distribution, population size, and population status of Presidio trout are needed to guide future conservation action.

TAXONOMIC NOTES JUSTIFICATION This species is restricted to cold, high elevation headwater streams in the Remedios sub-basin of the San Lorenzo drainage. Its extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occupancy (AOO) are both restricted. Continual declines in EOO and AOO are inferred based on the most serious threats, which include widespread introgression with rainbow trout, and declines in the quality, area, and extent of habitat resulting from deforestation and livestock overgrazing. Subpopulations are severely fragmented with limited to no genetic exchange due to thermal barriers outside of headwater habitat. Localized threats are likely to affect stream subpopulations independently and the number of locations where this species occurs is estimated to be six. Therefore, this species is assessed as Endangered (EN) under criterion B1ab(i,ii,iii)+2ab(i,ii,iii). GEOGRAPHIC RANGE INFORMATION Known populations reside within the Remedios sub-basin of the San Lorenzo. Río Truchas would appear to have the most significant population. Arroyo la Sidra has a peculiar morphotype above the waterfall near Vencedores that is genetically unique. The San Gregorio arm of the San Lorenzo is complimentary in size to the Remedios, but is unexplored for trout. Extent of occurrence (EOO) for this species is estimated to be 4,662 km² and area of occupancy (AOO) is estimated to be 18 km², based on known collection localities. Given the scope of potential threats, the number of locations is estimated to be six. POPULATION INFORMATION Total population size is uncertain, but unlikely to exceed 1,000. Population trend is uncertain but likely to be declining at a rate that precludes listing under a threatened category under criterion A. San Lorenzo trout are common in the Río Truchas. Trout in Arroyo la Sidra above the falls are not common, and are in danger of introgression due to the release of rainbow trout from a nearby grow-out facility. Other disjunct populations occur in small headwater tributaries of the Remedios. Subpopulations are considered severely fragmented, given specific habitat requirements and an inability to migrate across thermal barriers in river mainstreams. HABITAT AND ECOLOGY INFORMATION This species occurs in cold and clear high mountain streams, headwaters and larger arroyos at elevations between 2,300-2,700 m asl. Biological habits, niche, and reproductive characteristics have not been studied for San Lorenzo trout. THREATS INFORMATION Hybridization with rainbow trout is rampant in Arroyo la Sidra below the main falls. Escapes from the grow-out facility are frequent. Hybridization may pose a threat to other populations in the San Lorenzo where populations are not fragmented by thermal barriers. Logging and livestock are present in adjacent areas and may create runoff problems in the watershed. Future genetic introgression with rainbow trout is expected, given government initiatives that promote the development of hatcheries within the region. USE AND TRADE INFORMATION There is no known trade in the taxon. CONSERVATION ACTIONS INFORMATION There are currently no species-specific conservation measures in place. Recommended conservation measures include encouraging ejidos to limit access of livestock to streams, and prevention of future rainbow trout releases to reduce future introgression outside of Arroyo la Sidra. More research regarding distribution, population size, population trend, and the magnitude of potential threats would be useful in guiding future conservation action.

The Desert Fishes Council (DFC) is a non-profit (registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service in 1988) professional organization founded in 1969 with the mission of preserving “the biological integrity of desert aquatic ecosystems and their associated life forms, to hold symposia to report related research and management endeavors, and to effect rapid dissemination of information concerning activities of the Council and its members” (http://desertfishes.org). Fulfillment of that mission from the start included the production of a comprehensive report on all meeting activities (business meeting + abstracts of presented papers and posters) that was disseminated to the membership as the “Proceedings of the Desert Fishes Council”. After 20 years of production and editing by Phil Pister, in 1990, Dean Hendrickson assumed editorship, producing the 1990-1994 volumes. Starting with the 1992 content, the editorial workflow changed from paper originals to all content being digital from abstract submission through published digital annual volumes available from the DFC website, and the Proceedings were formally registered as a serial publication (ISSN 1068-0381). Gary Garrett served as editor for the 1995-1996 volumes, and Hendrickson and Garret co-edited the 1997-1998 volumes. Hendrickson and Lloyd Findley served as co-editors for 1999-2007, adding Spanish translations of all abstracts. Following a decision by the Executive Committee to cease translation after the 2007 volume, Hendrickson continued as sole editor from 2008 through 2019. From the beginning, bound hard copies of the Proceedings were mailed to DFC members and a variable number of selected, mostly academic libraries, but around 2000, distribution switched exclusively to email and downloading from the internet. Eventually, all pre-1992 Proceedings issues were scanned to PDFs which were made available from the website, but, with conversion of the workflow to abstract submission direct to an online database in 2008, the classical content of the Proceedings became fragmented, with minutes of the meetings published each year on the website and a separate online abstracts database. Thus, even as the 50th anniversary of the DFC approached, the historical content of its Proceedings, though all available in digital format, remained scattered across many different files and formats, making comprehensive searching of the complete content laborious. At the time of finalizing this abstract (October 2019) and final compilation of this volume, post-2007 abstracts of papers presented at the meetings were searchable from the website via the online abstract database, and the 1992-2007 PDFs of the annual Proceedings (all originally digital content) were separately searchable by downloading (from the DFC website) the annual files into PDF reader programs. The 1969-1991 volumes were also each searchable in the same way, but their textual (searchable) content, the product of automated Optical Character Recognition (OCR) done when that technology was still young, had many errors. Some business meeting minutes since 2007 were available via the DFC website, but were difficult to find there, and many were missing. Here, we provide the first single, text-based PDF file that brings the entire history of the DFC together in one place. All 2008-2018 business meeting minutes have been found and added to this file. The newer OCR technology used in this file produced much better results with the older, graphic-based content than what is found in the separate PDFs on the DFC website, and this single compilation file will now allow easy text-based querying across the complete history of DFC to present, greatly improving the utility of the archive for historical and scientific research. We are happy to now provide this permanently archived, and openly available file as a one-stop resource for access to the large corpus of historical and scientifically important conservation-related research built by the four editors who compiled this archive, and by all of the members of the DFC who contributed content over the first half century of DFC’s history. As we now turn management of DFC’s future content over to future Proceedings Editors, we suggest that they initiate work (perhaps Citizen Science-based?) to correct the remaining OCR and other errors (though less prevalent than in the early volumes), and ideally eventually more fully parse, and continue mining of, the contents to serve it via a digital, online database in compliance with standard bibliographic, taxonomic, and geo-spatial data standards, comparable to the way other modern scientifically useful content is served and linked across the Internet. Ideally, authors’ presentations could also be linked-in from permanent archives (such as DFC’s F1000 channel).

American theatergoers are familiar with director John Huston’s classic movie of 1948, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, based on a novel written by B. Traven and starring Humphrey Bogart as Fred C. Dobbs. At least north of the border, Traven’s tale of loco gringos prospecting for gold made Mexico’s rugged mountains famous, and many cinephiles still recognize the famous quote by Gold Hat the bandito: “Badges! We ain’t got no badges. We don’t need no badges! I don’t have to show you any stinking badges.” Huston filmed most of his mountain scenes on location in Mexico, and some 50 years later, we found ourselves in the Sierra Madre Occidental (henceforth, SMO) of northwest Mexico with our own saga of prospecting for “gold” beginning to unfold. Always without badges but often stinking after days of back-country camping and hiking, our binational and otherwise diverse cast of academic, government, and nonprofit biologists and fly fishers came to call itself Truchas Mexicanas (Mexican trout), after the different, but also gilded, treasure we were chasing.

Two Mexican trout taxa are formally described (Oncorhynchus chrysogaster, and O. mykiss nelsoni), but many other congeners have long been informally recognized as likely distinct. For more than two decades, the binational Truchas Mexicanas team searched for and collected trout broadly throughout the Sierra Madre Occidental of Sonora, Chihuahua, Sinaloa and Durango. That fieldwork documented that the native range of the genus extends to the Tropic of Cancer, or \textasciitilde1000 km S of El Paso, Texas, and indicates that most of Mexico’s trout exist as small, isolated populations with very restricted ranges. Genetic studies of Truchas Mexicana’s specimens demonstrated that the many distinctive lineages found in Mexico are at least as divergent from one another as are their much more thoroughly-studied relatives in the O. mykiss complex in the Western U.S.A. When an opportunity presented itself to list the many still undescribed Mexican forms in the IUCN Red List, as part of a large project to assess the conservation status of the entire Mexican freshwater fish fauna, the authors rapidly compiled the necessary documentation and submitted the required proposal. Once the proposal was accepted, we then worked with IUCN staff to finalize formal conservation assessments that should be published in the Red List about 1 month after this presentation is given at the 2019 meeting. We hope that this official listing of these 12 mostly undescribed Mexican endemic species, with 3 determined to be Critically Endangered (CR), 5 Endangered (EN), 3 Near Threatened (NT), and one Data Deficient (DD), will call attention to this important biodiversity asset and open doors for much-needed financial support for the conservation actions that are so desperately needed. Meanwhile, work continues on the morphologically difficult diagnoses of the new species and their descriptions.

Natural history specimen data collected and/or identified by Hendrickson, Dean A., https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7835-0295. Claims were made on Bloodhound, https://bloodhound-tracker.net using specimen data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, https://gbif.org. This is a continual growing compilation as new specimens are cataloged, published by the repositories in which they are held, and attributed to the author via Bloodhound.

Texas harbors 190 species of native freshwater fishes, 47% of which are considered imperiled. The primary cause of fish species imperilment in Texas is anthropogenic alteration of freshwater systems, which continues to occur at rates and scales that threaten the long-term resiliency of freshwater habitats, species, and ecosystems. Innovative conservation approaches are needed to restore and maintain functional watershed processes, restore freshwater habitats, and conserve native species, while simultaneously supporting human needs, such as flood control, municipal and agricultural water supply, water quality protection, and water-based recreation. The need for an integrated and holistic approach to conservation of freshwater systems has been the impetus for development of the Texas Native Fish Conservation Areas Network (Network). The Network consists of springs, ciénegas, creeks, rivers, and associated watersheds uniquely valued in preservation of Texas freshwater fish diversity. Twenty Native Fish Conservation Areas have been designated throughout the state. These were selected based on a spatial prioritization focused on identification of freshwater systems critically important to the long-term persistence of 90 freshwater fishes considered species of greatest conservation need. Through a shared vision of collaborative stewardship, conservation partnerships have formed among non-governmental organizations, universities, and state and federal agencies to plan and deliver actions within the Network to restore and preserve native fishes and their habitats. Furthermore, the Network has increased awareness of the ecological, recreational, and economic values of Texas freshwater systems, and helped increase interest and capacity of local landowners, communities, and recreational users (e.g., paddlers, anglers) to act as advocates and local stewards of these systems. By facilitating partnership development, coordinating broad-based conservation planning, and leveraging technical and financial resources toward strategic conservation investments, the Network has served as a catalyst for collaborative, science-based stewardship of native freshwater fishes and their habitats in Texas. The Network offers a successful case study in multispecies and watershed approaches to freshwater fish conservation transferrable to other states in the USA, with particular relevance to those states that, similar to Texas, consist predominately of privately-owned landscapes.

Aquatic biodiversity is threatened by human activities on a global scale. Mobile organisms such as stream fishes in particular are threatened by anthropogenic processes operating across jurisdictional and conservation area boundaries. Strategic conservation planning for broad, multi-¬species and multi¬jurisdictional landscapes benefits from datadriven approaches emphasizing persistence of priority species while accounting for human uses and stakeholder priorities. This study presents such an assessment for conservation of priority fishes of the Great Plains of the United States. Distribution models for 28 priority fishes were incorporated into a prioritization framework using the open-source software Zonation. A series of assessments were produced, including i) identification of distinct conservation areas based on connectivity and compositional similarity of priority streams, ii) perspectives for fish habitat condition prioritized towards undisturbed habitat (indicating protection potential) and disturbed habitat (indicating restoration potential), iii) ranking species conservation values at local (state) and global scales, and iv) development of ‘bang-¬for-¬buck’ perspectives emphasizing richness of species at state, basin, and study region scales. Assessment highlights include prioritizations primarily among unfragmented mainstem reaches, considerable state-boundary-based edge effects for rankings when using state-based conservation values, and identification of eight distinct regions containing natural communities of priority taxa. Further, we integrate an assessment product into a tiered framework for conservation implementation that facilitates coordination among stakeholders across jurisdictions and increases efficiency of conservation efforts. This set of analyses thus provides varying perspectives to direct diverse stakeholders in effective allocation of resources.

TAXONOMIC NOTES JUSTIFICATION Etheostoma segrex is a freshwater fish endemic to the headwaters of the Rio Salados de los Nadadores. While the historical distribution of this species may have included much of the headwaters of the Rio Salados de los Nadadores, extensive groundwater extraction, surface water diversion, and introduced Arundo populations have degraded much of the historical habitat, and it now only occurs in a few, localized areas within the Canyon below Cuatro Cienegas. Given the restricted distribution of this species and the plausible threat of extirpation due to habitat degradation resulting from continued groundwater extraction and surface water diversion, the entire population of E. segrex is considered as one location. Given a highly restricted extent of occurrence and area of occupancy, 1-5 locations, and inferred continuing decline in extent of occurrence, area of occupancy, and area, extent and/or quality of habitat, E. segrex is assessed as Critically Endangered. GEOGRAPHIC RANGE INFORMATION Etheostoma segrex is an endemic species from the headwaters of the Rio Salado de los Nadadores (Miller et al. 2005) which originates in the Sierra Madre Oriental and flows northeastward in central Coahuila, Mexico. Rio Salado is a tributary of Rio Bravo de Norte part of the Rio Grande system and crosses the Chihuahuan Desert of northern Mexico (Norris and Minckley 1997). POPULATION INFORMATION It is highly likely that populations of E. segrex have declined in recent years as a result of habitat loss due to water diversion and extraction, which has reduced the flow of the Rio Salado de los Nadadores by as much as 90% (Norris and Minckley 2002). In addition, introduced species may be impacting habitat quality in the area. Total population size is unknown. However, E. segrex has been relatively abundant in the few localities that still support populations (Norris and Minckley 1997, Norris and Minkley 2002). HABITAT AND ECOLOGY INFORMATION Etheostoma segrex is known to occur within freshwater rivers and streams, inhabiting riffles approximately 1.5-3 m wide and from 10 to 25 cm deep, of moderate turbulence over gravel and small cobble substrate (Norris and Minckley 1997). This species most likely feeds on small invertebrates and can be found mainly in vegetated, shallower areas, avoiding deeper, soft-bottomed eddies, pools or runs and turbulent ‘whitewater’ rapids (Norris and Minckley 1997). THREATS INFORMATION Both surface streams and underground waters in the Chihuahuan region are under increasingly heavy exploitation. Depletion of water resources is accelerating due to development for domestic, agricultural, and industrial uses. Etheostoma segrex is threatened by human water diversion and extraction through canals and wells, causing habitat alteration and degradation in water resources such as the Rio Salado de los Nadadores and its ground-water sources, which are under heavy demand in the very arid region of the eastern Chihuahuan desert (Norris and Minckley 1997). Significant darter habitat has already been severely degraded or lost and will not recover due to introduced Arundo populations. Recently, a number of wetlands and rivers in Cuatro Ciénegas, have also become infested with the invasive weed, Arundo donax, which may exacerbate water shortages (McGaugh et al. 2007). The most recent estimates of groundwater extraction around Cuatro Cienegas suggest that 55.4 million m3 are pumped annually from 101 well points, 93% of which are used in alfalfa cultivation to feed livestock (CONAGUA 2015). Large portions of habitat have recently been lost (e.g., Laguna Grande) resulting from declines in the water table (Felstead et al. 2015). Because the Comision Nacional del Agua does not have authority to restrict the future construction of wells, extraction is expected to continue into the immediate future (CONAGUA 2015). USE AND TRADE INFORMATION There is no information regarding the use or trade of E. segrex. CONSERVATION ACTIONS INFORMATION All aquatic systems of the Cuatro Cienegas basin have been designated as a Biosphere Reserve which may prevent further habitat degradation (Norris and Minckley 2002, IUCN and UEP 2018). However, the effects of this conservation action are unknown as the habitat of E. segrex does not extend into the protected areas. The American Fisheries Societies third compilation of imperiled freshwater and diadromous fishes of North America includes E. segrex as endangered under criteria 1 (present or threatened destruction, modification, or reduction of a taxon’s habitat or range) and 5 (a narrowly restricted range) (Jelks et al. 2008). However, these designations confer no protective benefit.