African cave catfish

[BuffaloPolypteridae]

Turned on my TV after work and there's a special on the Kalahari Scrublands, there is an under ground lake only accessible by caves and only one fish living there, the blind cave catfish.

They live on bat guano that floats in the surface!




They almost look like walking catfish, with a very snakelike body and the grouping of barbels.

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[Oddball]

Those are most definitely related to the better known walking cats. These cave cats are also of the Genus; Clarias. They're Clarias cavernicola from the (I luv this name) Dragon's Breath (Aigamas) Cave in Otjozondjupa, Namibia.

 

[rmkblades]

Reminds me of this documentary I saw on Devils Hole pupfish. They live in underground caves as well, except in Death Valley. Crazy where fish can make their homes...

http://www.doi.gov/employees/newsDetail.cfm?articleid=516867

 

[BuffaloPolypteridae]

Those are most definitely related to the better known walking cats. These cave cats are also of the Genus; Clarias. They're Clarias cavernicola from the (I luv this name) Dragon's Breath (Aigamas) Cave in Otjozondjupa, Namibia.

Nice I figured! Yeah that's an awesome name for a cave, they do believe those circle things that are devoid of plants that last more then half a century until the brush grows over them are created by a fire breathing dragon living underground. The name Dragons Breath may have been inspired by that, I bet its super humid combines with the intense heat too probably being one of the few water sources in the ararea

Reminds me of this documentary I saw on Devils Hole pupfish. They live in underground caves as well, except in Death Valley. Crazy where fish can make their homes...
View attachment 1008984
http://www.doi.gov/employees/newsDetail.cfm?articleid=516867

That's awesome too, those are cute lil buggers. I'd love to go cave diving but I'd be really paranoid of something dangerous in the dark depths. I've been diving off the cost of Florida and I enjoy being able to see a good 20 feet so you can at least see something coming lol


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[Empyreal]

Reminds me of this documentary I saw on Devils Hole pupfish. They live in underground caves as well, except in Death Valley. Crazy where fish can make their homes...
View attachment 1008984
http://www.doi.gov/employees/newsDetail.cfm?articleid=516867

I have actually been to devils hole (although it is fenced off and you can see the hole but no close enough to see the pupfish). The coolest thing is they have video of the whole water level fluctuating and "waking" back and forth right before a Japanese Earthquake. Remember this hole is out in the middle of the Nevada desert in the side of some small mountain on the other side of the world from Japan. It was very cool to see. Makes you really think about how things are intertwined.

 

[rmkblades]

They are supposed to be the rarest fish on earth...I think I found the video or one similar to what you were describing. Nuts...
[video=youtube;a6h82PIi_-0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6h82PIi_-0[/video]

 

[Empyreal]

That's it! The researchers were scared it would wipe out the colony but I guess the didn't lose too many individuals. Its funny to make it out to that place its down some random desert dirt road. There's not any major signage or anything (maybe that's a good thing) until you get to the hole.

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[BuffaloPolypteridae]

Hell I bet those fish out of most freshwater fish are better used to earth tremors being in that area. its crazy the guys gotta jump to stay dry

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[WarrendaFish]

Wow... The video is amazing. Perhaps with more scientific study they can use Devils Hole as a test/warning site. That video could have been used as a precursor or warming to save many lives if we understood what was happening better. I'd also like to hear more about the rearing and breeding process they are doing in that multi million dollar facility they were talking about in the article posted. A constant 92.5 F is a very warm environment with very low oxygen levels. It's amazing how mother nature adapts to different conditions. I would also be interested to see where the pupfish came from.. More info on parameters, breeding behavior etc


Also those cave catfish are very cool. Would like to know more about them.
Size, parameters etc. Definitely look like the clarias


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