Monday November 9, 2026
SFGATE —
Months after National Park Service biologists nearly lost track of the world’s rarest fish, the animal found only in a single pool in Death Valley is experiencing a rebound.
The agency counted 137 Devils Hole pupfish during a population survey on Oct. 10, after the species had recently cratered to a record-low 20 individuals last year and faced extinction. The number is also “nearly double the 77 fish observed in spring 2026 and more than double the 69 recorded in fall 2025,” the NPS said in a Tuesday news release. “The increase is an encouraging sign.”
One of the most endangered animals on the planet, the Devils Hole pupfish thrives in complex conditions: a water-filled cavern that hovers around 92 degrees year-round and is low in oxygen and nutrients, but is also home to the microscopic algae the pupfish feed on. It’s the smallest-known habitat for any vertebrate species, a park biologist previously told SFGATE, and yet they’ve survived for centuries.