The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed listing two minnows as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The headwater chub and the roundtail chub are currently found in tributaries and drainage areas in Arizona and New Mexico.
The agency says the population of these 10-inch-long fish has dropped significantly in recent years and now occupy just 18 percent of their historical range.
Officials say habitat destruction is partly to blame for the decline. But agency spokesman Steve Spangle said the biggest problem is predation by non-native fish species like small mouth bass and catfish.
"Our minnows in the Southwest evolved in a largely predator free environment," Spangle said. "They just don’t have the wherewithal to know how to avoid predation. This is especially problematic for the younger fish."
The Fish and Wildlife Service is also working to create a special rule for dealing with the two species. Officials are proposing relaxed regulations for working with the fish living in places like agricultural canals. The proposals are open to public comment until Dec. 7 .
