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<br />Preface
<br />
<br />Narive freshwarer fishes of rhe desen Sourhwesr
<br />are disappearing. Fishes obviously require water,
<br />scarce in the past in this vast arid zone, and even
<br />more so now with burgeoning human populations.
<br />As a resulr, rhis relarively small, special group of
<br />animals has fallen on hard rimes.
<br />Native freshwater fishes have received Iirtle
<br />attention from resource managers, or for that matter
<br />rhe public, simply because rhey rend co be unfamil.
<br />iar. MaS[ people do nor recognize rhe differences
<br />berween differenr species of fishes, or even rhar
<br />different species of certain groups exist. Common
<br />names are confusing in fishes, since the term
<br />"minnow" means a little fish to almost anyone, and
<br />"sucker" is often used in a derogatory sense,
<br />referring to a species that feeds on other than
<br />"healrhy" foods accumulared on rhe bottom.
<br />Acrually, borh minnows and suckers are each
<br />separare families. the Cyprinidae and Catosromidae,
<br />rhat make up a large proponion of the fishes native
<br />to western North America. Some minnows get big,
<br />and mosr suckets feed on live foods such as algae
<br />and maytlies, jusr like orher stream fishes.
<br />Recognizing rhe problems of unfamiliarity and
<br />dimculries of identification, Rinne began co
<br />accumulate phocographs of native fishes in the
<br />1970s. Effons included developmenr of a special
<br />chamber whete fish could be kept alive and well
<br />during photography. and emphasis was on narural
<br />colors of living individuals, to illusrrate how these
<br />animals actually look in nature. Photographs were
<br />chosen to illustrate nOt only their various body
<br />shapes. but also rheir funcriona! features such as
<br />breeding color and morphologic variarion-some of
<br />the more dynamic aspects of their existence. As
<br />permitted by other assignments, he craveled to
<br />obrain photographs rhroughour sourhwestern United
<br />Srares and northwestern Mexico. Acceptable
<br />photographs accumulated slowly. Some were
<br />published elsewhere to further other research efforts;
<br />orhers appear here for rhe first rime. The present
<br />repon includes phocographs of 46 species of fishes,
<br />some of rhe places in which they live, and of some
<br />past and present conditions of regional aquatic
<br />habitars.
<br />The texr by Minckley draws upon his experience
<br />of more than 30 years of research on desert aquaric
<br />sysrems and fishes. lt emphasizes historic aspects of
<br />rivers and springs in the West-whete they are,
<br />when they formed. and how thev work. Trearmenrs
<br />of fishes include comments on life-history traits,
<br />species uniqueness, and historic and presenr values.
<br />along with their roles in natural aquatic
<br />communities.
<br />
<br />The goal is to advertise these unique, threatened
<br />and endangered fishes, and cry to increase public
<br />awareness of rheir plighr. Knowledge of how these
<br />animals look and live, along with general information
<br />on their status, may contribute to their perpetuation.
<br />A lisr of technical lirerature on fishes of rhe region,
<br />their basic biology, and the imperiled sratus of rhe
<br />entire aquatic fauna is provided as Appendix I.
<br />Use of terms that refer to the conservation status
<br />of various species follows that of the [nternational
<br />Commitree on Endangered Species of the American
<br />Fisheries Society. "Endangered" fishes are rhose in
<br />danger of extinction throughout all or a significant
<br />portion of their ranges. "Threatened" species are
<br />likely to be endangered wirhin rhe foreseeable future.
<br />Fishes of "special concern" may become threatened
<br />or endangered by minor disturbances, or those which
<br />require additional information to determine their
<br />status. Scientific names are not included in text or
<br />figure captions in an attempt ro make the
<br />presentation more readable. Both common and
<br />scientific names of fishes mentioned in text are
<br />provided in Appendix 11.
<br />
<br />Acknowledgments
<br />
<br />Permirs for collecting, phorographing, and
<br />otherwise dealing with native western fishes were
<br />granted by rhe States of Arizona, Nevada, and New
<br />Mexico, and for rhreatened and end,mgered species,
<br />by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Work in
<br />Mexico was under permits issued through the
<br />courtesy of rhe Mexican governmenr. The Defenders
<br />of Wildlife and Nature Conservancy were especially
<br />helpful in allowing access co the Aravaipa Canyon
<br />Preserve. Uncredited photographs were raken
<br />specifically for this work. Photographs provided by
<br />orhers-B. D. DeMarais, S. G. Fisher, D. A. and].
<br />R. Hendrickson. B. L. Jensen,]. E. Johnson, W. G.
<br />Kepner, G. C. Kobetich, G. Mueller. R. D. Ohmart,
<br />R. Todd, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation-are
<br />credired in the figure captions; Figure 63 is
<br />reproduced by permission from Arizona Game and
<br />Fish Department. Forest Service personnel who
<br />provided able and substanrial assistance with the
<br />project included Marty ];,kle and Scan Belfir. Many
<br />orhers helped. and all arc due our thanks.
<br />The rexr was originally prepared while Minckley
<br />was on an Interagency Personnel Agreement Act
<br />appointment berween the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
<br />Service and Arizona State University. B. L. Jensen
<br />and his staff ar Dexter Narional Fish Hatchery,
<br />Dexter, New Mexico, provided assistance, support,
<br />and encouragemenr that contribured subsranriaJIy to
<br />the final producr.
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