Longfin smelt may be endangered, feds say

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Federal authorities will consider whether to designate another Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta fish for protection under the Endangered Species Act after a sharp population decline last year, the Sacramento Bee reports.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Tuesday it will review the status of the longfin smelt to determine whether it is a threatened or endangered species.

The 4-inch-long fish is native to the delta. Last year, it registered its lowest population count in four decades of monitoring, prompting environmental groups to request a review in August.

The longfin’s cousin, the Delta smelt, has been listed as a threatened species since 1993.

-- Francisco Vara-Orta