Blind cave eel

Blind cave eel
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Synbranchiformes
Family: Synbranchidae
Genus: Ophisternon
Species: O. candidum
Binomial name
Ophisternon candidum
(Mees, 1962)

The blind cave eel (Ophisternon candidum) is a species of fish in the family Synbranchidae. It is endemic to subterranean waters in the Cape Range, Australia. Like other cavefish such as Milyeringa (the only other vertebrates restricted to subterranean waters in Australia), the blind cave eel is entirely blind and lacks pigmentation.[2] It is listed as vulnerable under the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Reaching a length of 40 cm (16 in), it is the longest known cavefish.[3] In its history of being listed by the IUCN since 1988, it has not been well known hence the Data Deficient status.[1]

Diet

Due to their habitat, little is known about the biology of this species. They feed opportunistically upon small animals such as crustaceans (shrimp and woodlice) and insects (adults and larvae), including both aquatic species and terrestrial species that have fallen into the water.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 Wager, R. 1996. Ophisternon candidum. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded 4 August 2007.
  2. ↑ Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2017). "Ophisternon candidum" in FishBase. May 2017 version.
  3. ↑ Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (2008). Ophisternon candidum in Species Profile and Threats Database, Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Canberra. Ophisternon candidum — Blind Cave Eel Downloaded 3 January 2008.
  4. ↑ Humphreys & Freinberg (1995). "Food of the blind cave fishes of northwestern Australia". Records of Western Australian Museum. 17: 29–33.


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