Aldemaro Romero

Home Page

Up ]

 

Lucifuga spelaeotes Cohen & Robins, 1970

Blind Bahamian cave-fish

Common Name:  New Providence cusk-eel (E).
Etymology: 
spelaeotes (Gr) cave dweller.
Major Synonyms:  None.
History:  The first specimens were collected by Carleton Ray on 24 October 1967.
   

Morphological Characteristics:  It is distinguished from other members of the genus by the following combination of characters: vertebrae 13-14+38-42=51-55, dorsal finrays 86-109, anal finrays 66-82, pectoral finrays 17-20, caudal finrays 10; head profile above eye strongly depressed, eyes 0.7-1.8% SL; palatine teeth present, in 1-7 short irregular rows, with 3-56 teeth totally; long gill-rakers, dark pigmented

Troglomorphic Characters: 

Eye Condition:  Eyes not very well developed and small.
Pigmentation:  It has more coloration than L. dentatus and seems more primitive than L. dentatus.
Scales:  The entire body is covered by small, rounded imbricate scales.
Swim (gas) bladder:

   

Distribution:  Bahamas: Great Bahama Bank

   
Habitat and Ecology:  This fish lives in anchialine caves (Iliffe 1992) on several Bahamian Islands.  Some of them (e.g. Mermaids Hole, Uncle Charlie's Blue Hole) are typical inland holes of the cenote type, circular openings between 30 and 250 m across and from 2 to 110 m depth.
 
  Food and Feeding: 
Reproduction and Development:    Other Behaviors: 

Conservation Status:  Vulnerable.

Major Threats:  Decline in area, quality of habitat and pollution.

  Conservation Plans: 
Phylogenetic Relationships: