# A Rare Fish Found Underground in Death Valley Is Making a Comeback

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/a-rare-fish-found-underground-in-death-valley-is-making-a-comeback/
- Published: 2026-11-11T13:29:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-11T14:39:09+00:00
- Original publisher: Yale E360
- Original article: https://e360.yale.edu/digest/devils-hole-pupfish-rebound
- Topics: Climate

## Key points

- Devils Hole pupfish numbers rose to 137.
- Earthquakes and groundwater pumping threaten their habitat.
- Captive breeding and extra food have supported recovery.

## Summary

The endangered Devils Hole pupfish, which lives in an underground cavern in California’s Death Valley, has increased in number after conservation efforts. Its recovery matters because the tiny fish is exceptionally vulnerable to changes in its isolated habitat.

Groundwater pumping has lowered water levels in the cavern, while earthquake waves can dislodge algae the fish eat. After earthquakes in 2024 and 2025 left fewer than 40 fish, conservationists introduced captive-raised pupfish and supplied extra food. Divers counted 77 in a spring survey and 137 in the latest count last month; researchers remain uncertain how the fish first reached Devils Hole.

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