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Eyeless cave fish, Mammoth Cave National Park, 2014.

Cavefish (Amblyopsidae) are only found in caves with streams running into them. Fish in this family are commonly called cavefish, swampfish or blindfish, for obvious reasons. Like other troglobites (i.e., animals that live enitrely in dark parts of caves), amblyopsids exhibit adaptations to their dark environments. This may be lack of functional eyes, vestigial but functional eyes, sensory papillae on their skin that they use for navigation instead of eyes or even absense of any pigmentation whatsoever. Interestingly, and probably not well-known, cavefish have an unusual body clock that doesn't respond to light. Thus, their circadian rhythm has grown to 47 hours.

U.S. National Park Service

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Mammoth Cave National Park, Code: MACA

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Title: Mammoth Cave National Park
URL: https://www.facebook.com/MammothCaveNPS?fref=ts

20141020

10/20/2014

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Organization: Mammoth Cave National Park
Address: PO Box 7, 1 Mammoth Cave Parkway, Mammoth Cave, KY 42259

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