New Species Is Blind, Pink And Has Anus Behind It’s Head

by | Jun 17, 2014 | Fish, Science | 1 comment

cavefish

Hooser Cavefish with its flesh cleared to show the lack of eyes

Researchers have described a new species in the caves of Southern Indiana, which has been named Amblyopsis Hoosieri or Hoosier Cavefish. Matthew L. Niemiller, a researcher at the University of Kentucky, was studying northern cavefish when he realized that they appeared to belong to different genetic groups. He then teamed up with Prosanta Chakrabarty and Jacques A. Prejean from Louisiana State University. They collected 30 fish from Indiana and 11 from Kentucky, which revealed that the Indiana fish included a new species.  hooser
The Hoosier cavefish differ from the northern cave fish in many ways. Notably, the lack of eyes or pigmentation in the skin due to acclimation in the dark caves and the presence of the anus behind its head. “The anus behind the head might help them get the eggs into their gill chamber, where we know they brood their young, another strange behavior,” said Chakrabarty. MORE

  • Francis Yupangco

    Francis is a marine biologist with an MBA and over 20 years of professional aquarium experience. Francis is the former Aquatic Development Manager at Hagen USA., makers of Fluval brand aquarium products. He co-stars on Nat Geo WILD's reality TV series Fish Tank Kings where he is the resident "Fish Geek" and was Director of Marketing at Living Color Aquariums. He is an avid explorer having visited over 45 countries and lived in 7. At 17, he was among the youngest aquarists ever hired by the Vancouver Aquarium, where he worked for 7 years. His aquatic biology experience ranges from larval fish rearing to the design, construction and operational management of renowned public aquariums around the world. Francis is currently head of marketing at the world's largest vertically integrated fish farming company.

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