The return of an endangered fish to a stream where it had disappeared for years shows how controlling invasive species can help restore damaged freshwater habitats. In Nevada, conservation teams targeted non-native blue tilapia that threatened the survival of Moapa dace, a small fish found naturally only in the warm springs and streams of the Muddy River system. The effort, carried out between 2009 and 2012, formed part of a wider conservation program to protect the rare fish. Subsequent monitoring recorded Moapa dace returning to an 868-metre stretch of Big Muddy Creek, demonstrating how invasive-fish control and improved habitat connectivity can support the recovery of a threatened species.
A rare fish under pressure
