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Caecobarbus geertsi
Boulenger, 1921 |
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Congo blind barb |
Common Name: Congo blind barb
(E); barbu aveugle (F).
Etymology: caeco (L)
blind; barbus (L) for its barbs but also because of its
relationship with fishes of the genus Barbus; geertsi after
M. G. Geerts who sent the first specimens to Europe on which the original
description was made.
Major Synonyms: None.
History: M. Delporte, a Belgian explorer, may have been the
first European to see this fish in 1915. In 1917, during the dry
season, a party of amateur cave explorers penetrated 500 meters into a
limestone cave situated about 700 meters above sea level. This cave
is located in Lower Congo near Thysville (today Kanka near Mbanza-Ngungu,
5o 18' S, 14o 50' E). One of those amateur
explorers, M. Geerts, waited until after the end of World War I, when it
was safe for him to go back to Belgium, where he carried with him a few
specimens of this fish. He sent them to George Albert Boulenger, a well
known specialist on African fishes (and a Belgian). E. Randour may have
found this fish in other caves in the early 1920's. Being easy to
transport alive, many European scientists did some experimental work with
this species early on. It became so famous that in May 1951, it was
exhibited at the New York Aquarium (Romero and Benz 2000). It was the
first troglomorphic species described outside the American continent.
After Astyanax fasciatus, it is one of the most-studied hypogean
fish. Despite numerous attempts, breeding in captivity has failed.
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Morphological Characteristics:
Troglomorphic Characters:
Eye Condition:
It has vestigial eyes that are not externally visible (Gerard 1936).
Pigmentation: Depigmented.
Scales: Very slim.
Swim (gas) bladder: |
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Distribution:
Congo: caves in the lower Congo river system (ca. 5o S, 15o
E) (see Heuts & Leleup 1954 for a distributional map). |
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| Habitat and
Ecology: In caves characterized by cyclic food scarcity (Heuts 1951). |
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Food and Feeding: It tends to
aggregate based on conspecific odors (Berti & Thinès 1980), is scotophilic
(Thinès 1953), and responds to the alarm substance (Thinès & Legrain
1973). |
| Reproduction and Development: |
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Other Behaviors: |
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Conservation
Status: Vulnerable.
Major Threats: |
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Conservation Plans: |
| Phylogenetic Relationships:
This species seems to be related to primitive members
of the genus Barbus (Heuts op. cit.). |
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