Cavefish
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Current revision
{{Taxobox
| color = pink
| name = Cavefishes
| image = Amblyopsis spelaeus.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| image_caption = Northern cavefish, Amblyopsis spelaea
| regnum = Animalia
| phylum = Chordata
| classis = Actinopterygii
| ordo = Percopsiformes
| familia = Amblyopsidae
| subdivision_ranks = Genera
| subdivision =
Amblyopsis
Chologaster
Forbesichthys
Speoplatyrhinus
Typhlichthys
See text for species.
}}
The cavefishes are a family Amblyopsidae of fish found in caves and adapted to life in the dark, notably lacking eyes and having a pale or whitish color. They are all found in the southern and eastern United States.
Cavefishes are generally small, ranging up to 11 cm in length. Most lack pelvic fins, although Amblyopsis spelaea has small ones with up to six rays.
Species
The family includes six species in five genera:
- Genus Amblyopsis
- Ozark cavefish, Amblyopsis rosae (Eigenmann, 1898).
- Northern cavefish, Amblyopsis spelaea DeKay, 1842.
- Genus Chologaster
- Swampfish, Chologaster cornuta Agassiz, 1853.
- Genus Forbesichthys
- Spring cavefish, Forbesichthys agassizii (Putnam, 1872).
- Genus Speoplatyrhinus
- Alabama cavefish, Speoplatyrhinus poulsoni Cooper & Kuehne, 1974.
- Genus Typhlichthys