Notice of Availability of a Draft Recovery Plan for the Endangered and Threatened Fishes of the Rio Yaqui for Review and Comment

Résumé

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the availability for public review of a draft recovery plan for endangered and threatened fishes of the Rio Yaqui. Four species are included in the recovery plan: Yaqui catfish (Ictalurus pricei), and beautiful shiner (Cyprinella formosa), both listed by the Service as threatened species on August 31, 1984 (49 FR 34494); Yaqui chub (Gila purpurea), listed by the Service as endangered on August 31, 1984 (49 FR 34494); and Yaqui topminnow (Poeciliopsis occidentalis sonoriensis), listed by the Service as endangered on March 11, 1967 (32 FR 4001). Historically, the headwaters of the Rio Yaqui that occur in the United States may not have provided sufficient habitat for large populations of the Yaqui catfish, however the other three species were widely distributed throughout the upper reaches of the Rio Yaqui system. Loss of habitat, plus competition and predation from nonnative fish threaten the continued survival of these fish within the United States. The Service solicits review and comments from the public on this draft plan.