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Fishing News Latest Fishing News Newly discovered fish species thriving | Newly discovered fish species thriving |
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| Written by Craig Nyhus | |
| Friday, 26 December 2008 | |
 When biologists, business and cities work together, good things can happen for all — even threatened species. That’s how Gary Garrett, Texas Parks and Wildlife fisheries biologist at Heart of the Hills Fisheries Science Center, describes the recovery of a fish species he discovered. The fish, Gambusia clarkhubbsi, was discovered in the San Felipe Creek in Del Rio. The creek begins with one of Texas’ largest springs located on the San Felipe Country Club in the city limits. “We had been working there for 25 years,” Garrett said. “The Devil’s minnow is in the creek, too.” A big flood in 1998 totally flushed the creek out and flooded many homes. “It caused a lot of damage,” Garrett said. But after the flood, Garrett began noticing a different-looking fish. “It was in the mosquito fish family and guppy-sized,” he said. “But it was different from the other Gambusia species we knew of.” The next step was to take it to the lab. “We found out it was a new species,” he said. “I got to name it — that was pretty cool.” Garrett named the fish after his mentor, Clark Hubbs, whom he described as the most famous fisheries biologist in Texas. The new species, with the small creek being its only known home, was extremely rare. Garrett worked with the city and the golf course to improve the stream habitat. The changes were simple and economical. “We modified the fertilizing and mowing,” Garrett said. “They were mowing right up to the edge of the creek with the runoff from the parking lot and golf course going straight to the creek — every year there were big algae blooms. We agreed to set a 10- to 20-foot buffer.” The city made some changes as well. The city was lining the banks of the creek with concrete like the San Antonio River Walk,” Garrett said. “We got them to agree to back off of that and create some no-mow zones. Also, after the flood some land that had flooded was granted to the city by FEMA and the city created a greenbelt.” Garrett said the changes helped immensely to manage the runoff to the creek, and the population of the fish he named took off. “They expanded and exploded on their own,” he said. “I had worked there for 25 years and never saw one — now you see them regularly.” Working together, the groups all received benefits, Garrett said. “The benefit is a clean, healthy creek,” he said. “The fish is what we call an indicator species — it tells you when things are going well — and the creek looks great.” |
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