Earthquake reveals hundreds of extremely rare fish in Nevada cave

Hundreds of extremely rare fish were recently discovered in Nevada after an earthquake revealed their location.

According to the National Park Service, biologists counted 263 Devils Hole fish in Devils Hole, Nevada, the highest number of this species in 19 years.

The devil fish is a type of fish that occurs naturally only in Devils Hole – a water-filled cave in the side of a hill that is more than 500 feet deep. It is part of the Ash Meadows, a wildlife refuge that is a drainage point for the vast underground aquifer system.

This National Park Service (NPS) photo shows a devils puppy fish. More than 250 extremely rare fish were discovered in Devils Hole Cave in Nevada in September 2022; Highest level in 19 years. National Park Service

Parts of the region are believed to have been colonized with life in earlier rainy periods and subsequently isolated in dry periods. As a result, Devils Hole puppy fish are believed to have been isolated for between 10,000 and 20,000 years according to the US National Park Service (NPS).

The fish live inside the cave and spawn exclusively on a shallow rocky shelf near the surface, feeding on algae. It is believed to be the smallest group of any type of vertebrate on Earth.

The number of Devils Hole puppy fish each year ranges from 100 to 200 in the winter and 300 to 500 in the summer, depending on the amount of algae present.

In the mid-1990s, the Devils Hole puppy fish population began a mysterious and severe decline that was not yet fully understood despite studies of water chemistry and genetics. The US Fish and Wildlife Service designated about 21,000 acres of the area as primary habitat as part of a recovery plan in the 1980s.

263 fish were discovered this year following a 7.6-magnitude earthquake in Mexico that generated 4-foot waves inside Devils Hole on September 19, according to the NPS.

This activity flows within the cave system around algae and other organic matter in the water, making it easier for biologists to find small fish from the surface. Small fish are counted using visual counters from the surface as well as divers.

The number represents an increase from the average of just 90 fish over the past two decades or so, and could indicate important changes in the ecosystem.

“I’ve never seen populations this strong before,” said Brandon Singer, a biologist with the Nevada Department of Wildlife who has conducted a census of diving in Devils Hole since 2014, according to an NPS press release. “Fish of all size classes were plentiful. We counted more fish on one level than we had overall in previous issues.”

The counted fish appeared to be in good condition and were very active, with several courtship and spawning pairs observed.

The next puppy census will be conducted in the spring of 2023.

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