This is Devil's Hole pupfish

An interesting fish I didn't know existed and you probably didn't know this too. If you did then you with stumbled on a blog about it like you're doing now or you like studying fish because these ones are rare.

It's called the Devil’s Hole and these fishes have a small living space when compared to other types of vertebrate animal. The fish live in one pool in Death Valley. The water temperature of the pool is 93 degrees Fahrenheit. The population is seen as healthy when the number of fish is around 200. Can you imagine how easy it'll be to make them go extinct.

Devil’s Hole pupfish have possibly evolved for many generations in an underground cave system connected to a large underground aquifer. The species has a vulnerable environment because they feed and breed on submerged ledge of rock, approximately 1 meter below the surface. They also have a sensitive environment because they are affected by earthquakes, shock waves, mining activities and water usage from many miles away.

Researchers are attempting to help all the conservation efforts by releasing the captive bred ones sh into the wild. But problem is they have released captive bred fish into Devil’s Hole at such a rapid rate that theybare not really sure the outcome of these releases. Conservationists have studied alternatives for replicating the natural habitat of Devil’s Hole to create a captive breeding program for them. But all of this is very difficult and fragile to achieve, one least mistake could be very detrimental because of the population size they're dealing with here.

The water level occasionally drops in Devil’s Hole, leaving pupfish stranded on dry ground until a lot of water returns. The species is also affected by vandalism done by drunk people who enter the area and litter and vomit on the property.

Regardless of all that, the Devil’s Hole pupfish survive. They are a really unique little fish and their scales are cool too.