The spring population of the Devils Hole pupfish, one of the world’s rarest fish species, hit a 25-year high during this year’s count, the National Park Service said Monday.
Scientists earlier this month counted 191 of the fish in Devils Hole, a deep, water-filled cavern near Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in Nevada. The 40-acre site is a detached unit of Death Valley National Park, which is located in both California and Nevada.
Officials said the April survey showed the highest number of fish in a spring count since March 1999.
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Before the mid-1990s, the population was in the 200-to-250 range every spring. But then it dropped for nearly 20 years, reaching an all-time low of 35 in 2013.
