7715

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7715
• Author: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, C. R. F. R. T.
• Title: Bonytail Chub Recovery Plan.
• USFW Year: 1990.
• USFW - Doc Type: \
• Copyright Material: NO

I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I

Narrative

Short-Term

The immediate goal of this recovery plan is to prevent extinction of the
bony tail chub. The bony tail chub is extremely rare and very few individuals
have been collected or identified recently, suggesting that the species may be
close to extirpation in the wild. Therefore, initial efforts have been and
will continue to be directed toward securing and developing a broodstock,
reintroducing the wild or hatchery-produced bony tail chub within its
historical range, obtaining necessary information on the species' ecological
requirements, and reevaluating the taxonomic status of the Gila complex.

Long-Term

Once the immediate threat of extinction is removed and essential information
regarding factors that limit survival of bony tail chub is obtained,
quantitative goals for down1isting and delisting will be addressed and an
estimated timeframe for recovery will be established. Recovery can best be
accomplished by hatchery propagation and reintroduction, coupled with habitat
protection and removal or reduction of the causes of decline of bony tail chub.

1. Prevent extinction of bonvtail chub in the wild.

The bony tail chub is presently the most endangered fish species in the
Colorado River basin. Although individuals are still occasionally
captured and captive stocks are being maintained, there is no evidence
that any self-sustaining populations exist. Therefore, immediate action
is required to prevent its extinction and maintain its gene pool. For
these reasons, tasks 111-114 are considered Priority 1 recovery actions.

11. Protect in refugia.

Studies indicate that the few bony tail chub existing in the wild are
old fish which apparently are not reproducing. In time, these fish
will be lost to mortality. Therefore, genetic evaluation of captive
bony tail chub should be conducted to determine if obtaining wild
bony tail would be required for future reintroduction efforts. If- so,
wild fish should be obtained and placed in refugia for protection.

111. Establish and maintain refuQia in at least two locations.

A refugium for bony tail chub currently exists at Dexter
National Fish Hatchery, New Mexico, and should be maintained.
One or more additional refugia should be established and
maintained to guard against the potential loss of broodstock
that could result from a catastrophic event. Possible sites
for additional refugia include the Arizona Game and Fish
Department's Page Springs Hatchery; fish ponds at Ouray
National Wildlife Refuge, Ouray, Utah; Buenos Aires National
Wildlife Refuge, Sasabe, Arizona; Palm Lake at The Nature
Conservancy's Hassayampa River Preserve, Wickenberg, Arizona;
and Niland Native Fish Ponds, California.

13