San Antonio Zoo Receives Prestigious Conservation Award for Conchos Pupfish Recovery Project

San Antonio Zoo is proud to announce that its aquarium team has received the Zoological Association of America (ZAA) Ex Situ Conservation Award for their groundbreaking work on the Conchos Pupfish Recovery Project. The zoo became the first in the world to successfully reproduce the threatened Conchos Pupfish (Cyprinodon eximius) in human care. Native to the desert springs and rivers of West Texas and northern Mexico, this small but vital fish faces growing threats from habitat loss, drought, and agricultural water use.
In partnership with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Inland Fisheries Division, the zoo launched the project to help safeguard the species through the creation of an assurance colony. Beginning with 100 wild-sourced fish from the Devils River region, the aquarium team refined water conditions and developed innovative breeding methods, growing the population to more than 200 healthy individuals. Their success provides a crucial safety net for the species and a path for future reintroduction.
The ZAA Ex Situ Conservation Award recognizes excellence in the care and propagation of species in managed environments. This recognition underscores San Antonio Zoo’s leadership in aquatic conservation and continues its legacy of success with endangered and extinct-in-the-wild Mexican freshwater fish—helping secure a future for wildlife of every size.

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