Ozark cavefish

Description

The Ozark cavefish,Amblyopsis rosae,is a small subterranean freshwater fish native to the United States.It has been listed as a threatened species in the US since 1984;the IUCN lists the species as Near Threatened.It is listed as endangered by the Missouri Department of Conservation. The Ozark cavefish is pinkish-white and reaches a maximum length of 2.0 in (5 cm).The head is flattened,and it has a slightly protruding lower jaw.The fish has no pelvic fin;the dorsal and anal fins are farther back than on most fish.It has only rudimentary eyes and no optic nerve.The Ozark cavefish lives only in caves.It has no pigmentation and has lost some unused characters.However,it is well adapted to a cave environment through well-developed sensory papillae.They feed primarily on microscopic organisms,as well as small crustaceans and salamander larvae.Their reproductive rate is low compared to most other fish.