Catarina pupfish

Catarina pupfish
The last Catarina pupfish, which died in 2014

Extinct (2014)  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cyprinodontiformes
Family: Cyprinodontidae
Genus: †Megupsilon
R. R. Miller & Walters, 1972
Species:
†M. aporus
Binomial name
†Megupsilon aporus
R.R. Miller & Walters, 1972

The Catarina pupfish (Megupsilon aporus) was a diminutive species of fish in the family Cyprinodontidae, first described in 1972.[2][3] It was endemic to a spring in Nuevo León, Mexico. In an attempt of saving the rapidly declining species, some were brought into captivity in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but it proved very difficult to maintain.[4] In 1994 it became extinct in the wild.[1] Gradually the captive populations also perished. The last male died in 2014 (pictured in inset) and the species became extinct.[4][5][6]

In addition to its small size, it was characterized by absence of pelvic girdle and pelvic fins, novel male reproductive behavior of jaw-nudging, a darkened dorsal patch, and by having different numbers of chromosomes in male and female fish due to a recent chromosomal fusion event.[2] In 2013, its behavior was described based on very limited field observations of the previous wild population and more detailed observations in aquaria.[7]

  1. ^ a b Valdes Gonzales, A. (2019). "Megupsilon aporus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T13013A511283. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T13013A511283.en. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b Miller, Robert Rush; Walters, Vladimir (1972). "A new genus of cyprinodontid fish from Nuevo Leon, Mexico" (PDF). Contributions in Science, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. 233: 1–13. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-12-20. Retrieved 2014-09-09.
  3. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Megupsilon aporus". FishBase. August 2018 version.
  4. ^ a b Ceballos, G.; E.D. Pardo; L.M. Estévez; H.E. Pérez, eds. (2016). Los peces dulceacuícolas de México en peligro de extinción. pp. 72–74, 78–79. ISBN 978-607-16-4087-1.
  5. ^ Jirdan, R. (10 July 2017). "Prelude to global extinction: Stanford biologists say disappearance of species tells only part of the story of human impact on Earth's animals". Stanford University. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  6. ^ González, A.V.; L.M. Estévez; Ma.E.A. Villeda; G. Ceballos (2018). "The extinction of the Catarina pupfish Megupsilon aporus and the implications for the conservation of freshwater fish in Mexico". Oryx. 54 (2): 1–7. doi:10.1017/S003060531800056X.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Liu was invoked but never defined (see the help page).