Native Aquatic Species of the Gila River Basin
in Arizona and New Mexico
Status of Gila River Basin Native Fishes
Table 1. Native Aquatic Species
Historical distributions, known extirpated populations, known occupied streams,
and recommended replication sites for federal or state listed fishes of the Gila River basin,
excluding trouts.T=threatened, E=endangered, S=State listed, Ex=Extinct, PE=proposed endangered. Parentheticals denote major subdrainage affiliations, question marks denote uncertain status.
| Species | Historical Distribution | Known Extirpated Populations | Known Occupied Streams (exclusive of restoration sites) |
| Cyprinodon arcuatus (Ex) Santa Cruz (Monkey Spring) pupfish |
Low elevation streams, springs, cienegas, backwaters, and margins of larger
rivers in the Santa Cruz River basin |
Santa Cruz River Monkey Spring (Santa Cruz) Sonoita Creek (Santa Cruz) |
Species is extinct |
| Cyprinodon macularius (E) Desert pupfish |
Low elevation streams, springs, cienegas, backwaters, and margins of larger rivers in the Gila River basin, including all major subbasins except the Santa Cruz River basin | Agua Fria River Gila River Hassayampa River Salt River San Pedro River Verde River |
Gila River basin populations extirpated |
| Gila elegans (E) Bonytail chub |
Low-intermediate elevation mainstem reaches of the Gila and Salt rivers | Gila River Salt River |
Gila River basin populations extirpated |
| Gila intermedia (PE) Gila chub |
Upper reaches of small-middle sized streams of the Gila River basin, including all major subbasins | Agua Fria River (Gila) Queen/Arnett creeks (Gila) San Simon River (Gila) Cave Creek/Seven Springs (Salt) Fish Creek (Salt) San Pedro River Binghampton Pond (San Pedro) Garden Canyon (San Pedro) Turkey Creek (San Pedro) Santa Cruz River Monkey Spring (Santa Cruz) Big Chino Wash (Verde) |
Indian Creek (Agua Fria) Larry Creek (Agua Fria) Little Sycamore Creek (Agua Fria) Lousy Canyon (Agua Fria) Silver Creek (Agua Fria) Sycamore Creek (Agua Fria) Bonita Creek (Gila) Eagle/East Eagle Creek (Gila) Mineral Creek/Devil's Canyon (Gila) Turkey Creek, NM (Gila) San Carlos River Blue River (San Carlos) Dix Creek (San Francisco) Harden Cienega (San Francisco) San Pedro River, Mexico Babocomari River (San Pedro) Hot Springs/Bass Canyon (San Pedro) Los Fresnos River, Mexico (San Pedro) O'Donnell Creek (San Pedro) Post/Freeman canyons (San Pedro) Redfield Canyon (San Pedro) Cienega Creek (Santa Cruz) Empire Gulch (Santa Cruz) Mattie Canyon (Santa Cruz) Sabino Canyon (Santa Cruz) Sheehy Spring (Santa Cruz) Red Tank Draw (Verde) Spring Creek (Verde) Walker Creek (Verde) Williamson Valley Wash (Verde) |
| Gila nigra (S) Headwater chub |
Middle to headwater reaches of middle-sized tributary streams in the Verde, Tonto, San Carlos, and upper Gila River (NM) subbasins | Beaver Creek (E Fk Gila River) Taylor Creek (E Fk Gila River) Christopher Creek (Tonto) Horton Creek (Tonto) Sharp Creek (Tonto) Rye Creek (Tonto) Dry Beaver Creek (Wet Beaver) |
Gila River, upper San Carlos River Ash Creek (San Carlos) Tonto Creek Buzzard Roost (Tonto) Gordon Creek (Tonto) Gunn Creek (Tonto) Haigler Creek (Tonto) Marsh Creek (Tonto) Rock Creek (Tonto) Spring Creek (Tonto) Deadman Creek (Verde) East Verde River (Verde) Fossil Creek (Verde) Webber Creek (Verde) Wet Bottom Creek (Verde) |
| Gila robusta (S) Roundtail chub |
Middle-sized to larger streams of the Gila River basin, including all major subbasins except the Santa Cruz River basin | Boneyard Creek (E Fk Black) Gila River, middle reach (AZ) Salt River, upper reach San Francisco River (Gila) Blue River (San Francisco) San Pedro River N Fk White River (White) ? |
Gila River, upper Eagle Creek (Gila) Salt River, lower reach Salt River Project canals Black River (Salt) Canyon Creek (Salt) Carrizzo Creek (Salt) Cedar Creek (Salt) Cherry Creek (Salt) Cibeque Creek (Salt) Corduroy Creek (Salt) Salome Creek (Salt) White River (Salt) ? Aravaipa Creek and tributaries (San Pedro) Verde River Fossil Creek (Verde) West Clear Creek (Verde) Wet Beaver Creek (Verde) |
| Meda fulgida (T) Spikedace |
Low-intermediate elevation streams in the Gila River basin, including all major subbasins except the Santa Cruz River basin | Agua Fria River Salt River San Francisco River San Pedro River, US and Mexico |
Eagle Creek (Gila) Gila River, Middle Fork Gila River, West Fork Gila River, East Fork Gila River, middle reach (AZ) Mangus Creek (Gila) Aravaipa Creek (San Pedro) Verde River |
| Plagopterus argentissimus (E) Woundfin |
Low elevation streams in the Gila River basin, including all major subbasins except the Santa Cruz River basin | Gila River Salt River Verde River |
Gila River basin populations extirpated |
| Poeciliopsis occidentalis (E) Gila topminnow |
Low-intermediate elevation streams, springs, cienegas, backwaters, and margins of larger rivers in the Gila River basin, including all major subbasins | Gila River Ash Creek, North Fork (Gila) Salt Creek (Gila) San Simon River (Gila) San Carlos River (Gila) Salt River Tonto Creek (Salt) Frisco Hot Spring (San Francisco) San Pedro River Arivaca Creek (San Pedro) Cocio Wash (Santa Cruz) Potrero Creek (Santa Cruz) Sabino Canyon (Santa Cruz) Sheehy Spring (Santa Cruz) Tanque Verde Creek (Santa Cruz) Verde River Other unnamed waters |
Bylas Springs (Gila) Santa Cruz River, upper reach (US and Mexico) Cienega Creek (Santa Cruz) Cottonwood Spring (Santa Cruz) Monkey Spring (Santa Cruz) Sharp Spring (Santa Cruz) Sonita Creek complex (Santa Cruz) |
| Ptychocheilus lucius (E) Colorado pikeminnow |
Low-intermediate elevation streams in the Gila River basin, including all major subbasins except the Santa Cruz River basin | Gila River Salt River San Pedro River Verde River |
Gila River basin populations extirpated |
| Tiaroga cobitis (T) Loach minnow |
Low-high elevation streams in the Gila River basin, including all major subbasins except the Santa Cruz River basin | Gila River (AZ portion) Salt River San Pedro River, US and Mexico Verde River |
Aravaipa Creek and tributaries (San Pedro) Black River, North Fork of East Fork (Salt) Blue River, and tributaries (San Francisco) Eagle Creek (Gila) Gila River, Middle Fork Gila River, West Fork Gila River, East Fork San Francisco River and NM tributaries White River, North Fork (Salt) White River (Salt) White River, East Fork (Salt) |
| Xyrauchen texanus (E) Razorback sucker |
Low-intermediate elevation streams in the Gila River basin, including all major subbasins except the Santa Cruz River basin | Gila River Salt River San Pedro River Verde River |
Gila River basin populations extirpated |
Last Reviewed:
August 10, 2007