Amblyopsidae

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Cavefishes
Northern cavefish, Amblyopsis spelaea
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Percopsiformes Family: Amblyopsidae
Genera
Amblyopsis Chologaster Forbesichthys Speoplatyrhinus Typhlichthys See text for species.

The cavefishes (commonly: blindfishes, swampfishes) are found in caves and adapted to life in the dark, notably lacking eyes and pigmentation, as a result having a pale or whitish color. They are found all over the world. There are more than 80 known varieties of cavefish.

The blind and albinic cavefish Nemachielus evezardi from Kotumsar Cave, India

Cavefishes are generally small, ranging up to 2.5 cm in length. Most do not have pelvic fins, although Amblyopsis spelaea has small ones with up to six rays. Only three species of cave fish lack eyes completely, but several others have useless eyes. The majority of cave fish have little to no pigment in their skin. These features are an example of regressive evolution.

Cavefishes can only be found in caves that have streams running into them; a cave with no inlets (such as Blanchard Springs Caverns in Arkansas) will not contain cavefishes. They are believed to have been evolved from their aboveground counterparts.

[edit] Species

The family includes six species in five genera:

• Genus Amblyopsis
• Genus Typhlichthys
  • Southern cavefish, Typhlichthys subterraneus Girard, 1859.
• Genus Chologaster
• Genus Forbesichthys
• Genus Speoplatyrhinus

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Amblyopsidae

• "Amblyopsidae". FishBase. Ed. Rainer Froese and Daniel Pauly. January 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.