Southern cavefish
Typhlichthys subterraneus, the southern cavefish, is a species of cavefish in the family Amblyopsidae endemic to karst regions of the eastern United States.
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThis species is more commonly known as the Southern cavefish. This name is due to the southern states in which it is found, including Indiana, Alabama, Kentucky, Georgia, Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. The subterranean waters where the cavefish is found is divided by the Mississippi River. The regions that it occupies include the Ozark plateau of central and southeastern Missouri and northeastern Arkansas, the Cumberland and Interior low plateaus of northwest Alabama, northwest Georgia, central Tennessee and Kentucky, and southern Indiana. It has been observed that the species lives in solitary habitats and is mostly isolated.
Tyhplicthys subterraneus is mostly lentic, but can also be found in pools of streams near water tables. The cavefish feeds mostly on aquatic arthropods, such as amphipods and isopods. However, their metabolic rates are depressed in order to survive food shortages. The reproductive capabilities of this species is considerably low, with fewer than 50 eggs per female. This provides restrictions on its capabilities for recovering from an even minor population decline. When young are produced, they brood in the female's gill chamber. Sexual maturity requires approximately two years, and the life span is approximately four years.
Typhlichthys subterraneus is listed as near threatened on the IUCN Red List. Due to environmental threats, there has been a recent decline in geographical span and population density. This is perhaps due to pollution, lowering of the water table, flooding of reservoirs, or cave vandalism. Throughout the range of occupation, the cavefish has been placed under various conservation categories. To reduce these detrimental effects, there are several things that can improve the Southern cavefish's status.
