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Blind Swamp Eel
Ophisternon infernale
The blind swamp eel (Ophisternon infernale) is a species of fish in the family Synbranchidae. It is endemic to Mexico where it lives in cave systems and is known in Spanish as the anguila ciega. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated this cavefish as "endangered".
From the article Blind swamp eel on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), quoted section by section
Description
The blind swamp eel is an elongated, wormlike fish with no pigment, no scales and no visible eyes. It seems likely that it is derived from the marbled swamp eel (Synbranchus marmoratus) and became adapted for life underground. It grows to a standard length of 32.5 cm (13 in) and the bulbous head bears numerous sensory pores.
Range & habitat
The blind swamp eel is endemic to the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico where it inhabits freshwater in sinkholes and limestone caves. It lives in shallow water in the muddy substrate or under stones. It has only been found in 7% of the caves investigated, and where it is found, it coexists with the Mexican blind brotula (Typhliasina pearsei), and often with the catfish Rhamdia guatemalensis.
Wikipedia: “Distribution”
What it does
The blind swamp eel feeds on the faeces of bats and swallows and on shrimps. The male swamp eel excavates a mucus-lined burrow in which the eggs are laid, and the male guards the nest.
Wikipedia: “Ecology”
Where it lives
Recorded sightings
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geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.
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In the stacks
Searching the stacks…
Every page naming Ophisternon infernale in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
This page is assembled live from iNaturalist, GBIF, Wikipedia, the Source Library and the Internet Archive. It is not yet part of the hand-edited codex. iNaturalist taxon 107677.