Students in Alyssa Haygood’sScience class have been working with Arizona Game and Fish Department on saving the Desert pupfish and have now released the endangered fish into a large aquarium in the lobby of the Ag and Science (AS) building.

Desert pupfish (Cyprinodon macularius) are an endangered species that were previously endemic to the Arizona, southern California and southern Nevada region. All of the natural wild populations of desert pupfish were extirpated from Arizona long ago, but the Arizona Game and Fish Department has numerous captive and reintroduced wild populations of these endangered fishes.  The original wild populations of pupfish were lost due to predation and competition from non-native fishes, loss of habitat from groundwater use and surface water diversions, and other threats.

The common name is said to derive from the mating habits of the males, whose activities vaguely resemble puppies at play. They also turn blue during this time.

Because of their small size (2.5 in) and lively behaviour they are much appreciated as aquarium fishes.

They are fast growers, for it only takes them 2-3 months to become fully grown. They die very quickly too, normal pupfish only live for 6-9 months, though some can live as long as 1 whole year!