Nature News
Scientists stymied by inch-long fish Dec 22, 2005, 19:05 GMT LAS VEGAS, NV, United States (UPI) -- Scientists say they are unable to explain the steady declined in the number of pupfish -- an endangered species that lives only in a Nevada limestone cave. For the last decade the number of pupfish in Devils Hole, a deep, water-filled cavern about 80 miles northwest of Las Vegas, has dwindled, the Las Vegas Sun reported Thursday. The population last month was tallied at 84 -- the same as in February. Jim Deacon, a University of Nevada-Las Vegas biologist, said, 'The expected increase this fall did not happen. All through last summer there was egg-laying and babies produced, but not enough to increase the adult population, so we`re still at very dangerous levels.' Observers are increasingly worried that whatever they do, the species may be on a slide to extinction, the newspaper said. 'It doesn't look like there was a change in the ecological relationships,' Deacon told the Sun. 'One easy cop out is to say there is a genetic bottleneck, but I think that`s too easy. 'They`ve been there for 10,000 or 60,000 years, somewhere in that neighborhood, so why would they blink out now?' Copyright 2005 by United Press International _http://science.monstersandcritics.com/news/article_1070928.php/Scientists_sty mied_by_inch-long_fish_ (http://science.monstersandcritics.com/news/article_1070928.php/Scientists_stymied_by_inch-long_fish)
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