Hatchery in Dexter, New Mexico studies the woundfin in an effort to help conserve the species, and has successfully spawned the fish in captivity. However, efforts to transplant the species into other rivers and creeks have failed due to reproduction not taking place. On July 11, 2007, approximately 50 woundfin were released into the Hassayampa River near Wickenburg, Arizona. The hatchery-raised fish were from wild Virgin River stock. The only wild population of the species is in the Virgin River. An aggressive program to eradicate red shiner from the Virgin River in Utah has all but removed red shiner from reaches previously dominated by red shiner. Fish barriers have been erected to prevent re-colonization by red shiner, and has allowed the reintroduction of hatchery raised woundfin. Several thousand of hatchery-raised woundfin were released in the fall of 2007 and 2008. With red shiner no longer a threat, low flows and high temperatures are the biggest threats still facing woundfin. Another minnow, the Virgin River chub (Gila seminuda), has much of the same range as the woundfin and thus faces the same threats of extinction, particularly competition from the red shiner and a decrease in water quality as the result of agricultural runoff. References Leuciscinae Fish of the Western United States Monotypic fish genera Fish described in 1874 Critically endangered fauna of the United States