Scott A. Bonar Lab
AZ Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
Spawning Ecology of Moapa Dace Moapa coriacea Investigations Using Underwater Videography
Project Partner(s):
Project Duration:
Principal Investigator(s):
Research Assistant(s):
USFWS
October 2011 to September 2015
Scott Bonar
Jack Ruggirello
Moapa dace Moapa coriacea are a critically endangered cyprinid endemic to the Warm Springs area of Clark County, Nevada. This species was first collected and identified in 1938. As a result of its limited range, low abundance, and impacts from introduced species, Moapa dace were federally listed as an endangered species within thirty years of being described. The spawning ecology, a portion of Moapa dace life history that is crucial to its recovery, is not fully understood. We installed twelve cameras every ten meters, underwater, in the uppermost reach of Plummer Stream. We have approximately 21,888 hours of video recorded from March through May 2012. We are currently reviewing the video for spawning activity. Once we identify spawning events, we will evaluate important environmental factors correlated with them (i.e. temperature, stream velocity, day length, time of day, and substrate used). This enhancement of knowledge on the spawning ecology of Moapa dace will be important for identifying factors that induce spawning in captivity and will provide crucial data for managers to utilize in habitat improvement projects. After analyzing video from March 17 through April 15, we have ten potential spawning events.