Plus: Oakland is facing massive City-wide budget deficits and SF is set to close (one of) its most expensive homeless sites.
There are ten times more giant pandas left in the world than Devil’s Hole pupfish—what scientists consider the rarest fish on this planet. Since being discovered by happenstance in 1952, the population of these small blue fish has oscillated to terrifying lows; in the 1990s, less than 40 of these fish were left in the wild, but by the early 2010s, the population had climbed back into the low 200s.
But unlike giant pandas, which can be found in several mountain ranges throughout mainland China, Devil’s Hole pupfish occupy an area that’s almost comically small. The entire known population of Devil’s Hole pupfish exists on a limestone shelf inside the Devil’s Hole water column inside Death Valley National Park; it’s an area that totals 215 square feet.
The slightest disturbance to their environment could spell catastrophe. Or, most likely… extinction.
For the Devil’s Hole pupfish, the recent 7.0-magnitude earthquake meant their small watery world turned into a wave pool with the tremor’s vibrations sloshing their otherwise almost still home. It’s unclear what damage has been done or the consequences, but biologists are certain it sent some of their food and their eggs to depths out of their reach.
“In the short term, this is bad for the pupfish,” National Park Service biologist Dr. Kevin Wilson said in the news release. Devil’s Hole pupfish have only been observed within 80 feet of the water column; it remains unclear if they can survive or travel any deeper. “A lot of pupfish food just sank deeper into the cave, most likely too deep for the fish to get to it. There were likely pupfish eggs on the shelf that were destroyed.”
However, there could be an upside. The rare distance to their environment might’ve pushed new organic debris into the water hold, all while redistributing other organic mass through it — potentially meaning, longterm, more food sources could become available.
Only time will tell what lasting impacts last week’s earthquake will have on these smol fish. Regardless, it just goes to show how fragile their existence is.
What else transpired over the weekend? Let’s take a look.
- San Francisco’s largest, most expensive site dedicated to sheltering the homeless will cease to exist. Bayview Vehicle Triage Center parking lot in Candlestick Point will shutter in early March, and social service case managers will be working with residents living in the site’s 30 vehicles to transition them into permanent housing or shelter; the site costs the City roughly $140,000 a vehicle per year. More info.
- Oakland’s fiscal budget deficit for 2025 could mean massive changes across branches. An estimated $129 million shortage will affect everything from policing to library staffing — and mass layoffs look inevitable. More info.
- A Concord bowling alley shootout left two men killed. The deceased victims were later identified as Antonio Drake, 34, of Antioch, and Deantray Reed, 35, of Oakley; the shooting happened around 10:36 p.m. in the Delta Bowl parking lot. More info.
