Rare Eyeless 'Demon Cavefish' Discovered in Alabama Cave System

Scientists have discovered a new species of cavefish, dubbed the 'demon cavefish', in a cave system near Huntsville, Alabama, describing it as potentially one of the rarest fish species in the world.

Adapted to total darkness

The newly identified fish has no eyes and completely lacks pigment, researchers said, reflecting adaptations typical of species that have evolved in permanently dark, subterranean environments.

The discovery was made in Bobcat Cave, which is already known to host other rare and endangered species, including the Alabama cave shrimp and multiple species of cave crayfish.

• The fish has no eyes and no skin pigmentation
• It was found in Bobcat Cave near Huntsville, Alabama
• The cave is home to several other rare, endangered species

Conservation concerns

Researchers said the fish's apparent rarity raises immediate conservation questions, given the fragility of cave ecosystems and their vulnerability to groundwater pollution and habitat disturbance.

Scientists plan further surveys of the cave system to estimate the total population size and better understand the species' ecological role, according to the research team.

The discovery adds to a growing catalogue of undescribed species being identified in the southeastern United States' extensive cave networks, researchers noted.