Misty Lake sticklebacks COSEWIC asessment and status report: chapter 11
Technical Summary: Misty Lake Lentic stickleback
Gasterosteus sp.
Misty Lake Lentic stickleback – Épinoche lentique du lac Misty
Range of Occurrence in Canada:
Endemic to Misty Lake, Vancouver Island, British Columbia
Extent and Area Information
Population Information
- Misty Lake – likely >10,000 (rough estimates based on Reimchen‘s (1990) estimate for Drizzle Lake);
- outlet stream – likely >4000 (Moore, pers. comm. 2006).
Threats (actual or imminent threats to populations or habitats)
Potential impacts of hydrocarbon and pesticide contamination from the adjacent highway and rest stop; habitat, water quality and hydrological changes from nearby logging or climate warming; non-native species introductions (including fish, invertebrates and plants); and non-conforming recreational uses of the lake.
Rescue Effect (immigration from an outside source)
Not Applicable – Endemic Species
Quantitative Analysis
No Data
Current Status
COSEWIC: Endangered (2006)
B.C. Conservation Data Centre: S1
Status and Reasons for Designation
Status: Endangered
Alpha-numeric code: A3e
Reasons for Designation: This lake-dwelling fish is part of an endemic, highly divergent species pair restricted to a single stream-lake complex on Vancouver Island with an extremely small area of occurrence. This species pair could quickly become extinct due to the introduction of non-native aquatic species or perturbations in the habitat. Proximity of this complex to a major highway and public access makes an introduction likely. Logging activities in the watershed, as well as highway use and related maintenance, could impact habitat quality to some degree.
Applicability of Criteria
- Criterion A: (Declining Total Population): Met endangered A3e. The possibility of the introduction of an exotic species is extremely high and such an event is projected to have the potential to drive the population to extinction within three generations.
- Criterion B: (Small Distribution, and Decline or Fluctuation): Not Applicable, although the extent of occurrence and area of occupancy are less than 500 km², there is no evidence of decline or fluctuation.
- Criterion C: (Small Total Population Size and Decline): Not Applicable, population size, although small, probably exceeds threshold value and there is no evidence of decline.
- Criterion D: (Very Small Population or Restricted Distribution): Met threatened D2. An endemic with the total population in one location where it is restricted to an AO of less than 1 km².
- Criterion E: (Quantitative Analysis): Not applicable, no data.
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