Railroad Valley Springfish (Crenichthys nevadae)

The Railroad Valley springfish is endemic to thermal springs in Railroad Valley, Nye County, Nevada. Listed as federally threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1986, this small native fish inhabits only a handful of warm springs and their outflows in this isolated desert basin. The Nevada Department of Wildlife cooperates with USFWS on habitat protection and monitoring. Angling is prohibited; the species is protected due to its extremely limited range and vulnerability to groundwater pumping and habitat degradation.