We don't often think about fish in the desert, but there are four important groups of fish in the Mojave Desert. There a small, minnow-like native fish restricted to small springs and streams that are left over from the ice age (pupfish and poolfish), larger native fish that inhabit larger bodies of water like the Virgin and Colorado rivers (e.g., suckers and razorbacks), large non-native species introduced for sport fishing and other reasons (e.g., catfish, bass, sunfish, carp, and striped bass), and smaller non-native species introduced because morons release their unwanted pet fish (e.g., goldfish and tropical aquarium fish) into springs and other natural waters where they damage the natural environment.

Never release non-native fish into local ponds and springs. While it might feel good to "free Willy," these non-native fish damage the ecosystem and cause tremendous harm to the native species such as spring snails and native frogs that depend on springs and other small water sources for survival.

Note: All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate.
; Last updated 240222