Cave Fish

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The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Cave Fish

any one of various small fishes, measuring from 10 to 13 cm long, that dwell in caves and karstic cavities, forming part of cave fauna. Cave fishes include four species from three genera of the family Amblyopsidae of the order Cyprinodon-tiformes. These four species are found in North America, primarily in the Mississippi Basin. Other cave fishes include four species of three genera of the family Brotulidae of the order Perciformes. These cave-dwelling fishes are encountered on the Yucatan Peninsula, in Cuba, and on the Bahama Islands. The families Characidae and Cyprinidae, both of the order Cy-priniformes, each have one cave-dwelling species. The cave-dwelling characin dwells in Mexico, and the cave-dwelling cyprinid in Africa. Several families of the order Siluriformes, including the Ictaluridae, Amiuridae, and Clariidae, have a number of cave-dwelling species.

Cave fishes are either live-bearers or carry their roe in a gill chamber. Their eyes are partially or completely atrophied.

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References in periodicals archive ?

Male-biased predation on a cave fish by a giant water bug.

Population structure, habitat use, and diet of giant waterbugs in a sulfidic cave

The present research explores the changes on the surface ultrastructure of the peripheral olfactory organ for cave fish. The SEM is used to assess the microstructure of the olfactory organ of cave species S.

Anatomical Studies of the Olfactory Epithelium of Two Cave Fishes Sinocyclocheilus jii and S. furcodorsalis (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) from China

Troglobites, on the other hand, are animals such as cave fish and crayfish, some salamanders and some insects that are wholly adapted to living in caves, which means that they may have special antennae instead of eyes and little or no coloring.

Cave fact or fiction?

The most famous and very expensive bird in the UAE, the houbara bustard, blind cave fish, bats, and sand cat which is known to be the smallest of the Arabian wild cat whose tufts of long wavy hair in its toes help it walk on soft sand and protect its paws from hot desert surface, make an amazing collection.

Have fun in the wild, wild world

mexicanus cave fish have independently evolved the same eyeless condition, a striking example of convergent evolution," Dr Bradic added.

Why Mexican cavefish turned blind

Kutumsar, 55 ft underground, houses the rare blind cave fish that inhabit the deeper pools.

The Wild Heart of Chhattisgarh

The species was named after the collector, Andy Dunsire and so should be 'Dunsire's cave fish' rather than 'Dunser's' and its specific epithet is not 'dunseri'.

Arabian Wildlife

Bat guano is an important food source in caves and is eaten by microscopic invertebrates, cave insects, cave crayfish, and cave fish. During the second round of the Hungry Critters activity, our imaginary cave has been vandalized, causing the endangered bats to abandon the cave and thereby upsetting the amount of available food.

Celebrating groundwater and cave critters

Responding to a question at the press conference, the actor said he wasn't aware of many fragile species in northwest Arkansas, such as the threatened Ozark blind cave fish or the endangered Indiana bats

Redford speaks at UA series

Deftly woven together with the metaphorical are technical descriptions of a stalagmite's trigonal crystal system, the traits of troglodytes (creatures that spend their whole lives in caves) like the cave fish or Ozark blind salamander, and issues of cave conservation.

Calm in Dark Places : Though her first caving experience was one of panic, Barbara Hurd returns to explore the spiritual mystery and power of caves

Thus, for example, the cave-dwelling species of North American cave fish (amblyopsids) have a metabolic rate that is considerably lower than the species living in springs.