Seasonal movements and demographics of the endangered White River Spinedace to inform restoration and translocation.

The article focuses on the seasonal movements, habitat use, demographics, and survival of the endangered White River Spinedace (Lepidomeda albivallis) in the Flag Springs Complex, Nevada, to inform conservation translocations and restoration efforts. Using passive integrated transponder (PIT) tagging and remote detection, the study found that White River Spinedace occupy complex spring habitats with water temperatures between 13° C and 21° C, exhibit high site fidelity, and show increased activity during spawning seasons without large-scale migrations. Monthly survival rates were higher from June to November than from November to June, with median life expectancy after tagging around five months and only about 1% surviving beyond three to four years. Population estimates indicated fewer than a thousand individuals in the study area, with stable or slightly increasing trends, and recruitment to the taggable size class (≥70 mm total length) varied seasonally. These findings emphasize the importance of selecting predator-free, thermally suitable, and hydraulically complex habitats for translocation and highlight the need for ongoing monitoring due to the species' short lifespan and demographic characteristics.