Prietella phreatophila

Prietella phreatophila
Systematics
Cohort :	Otomorpha
Sub-cohort :	Ostariophysi
Order :	Catfish (Siluriformes)
Family :	Catfish (Ictaluridae)
Genre :	Prietella
Type :	Prietella phreatophila
Scientific name
	Prietella phreatophila
	Carranza , 1954

Prietella phreatophila from the family of catfish (Ictaluridae) is a very rare, living in underground waters Wels without eyes.

features

The catfish species is pinkish-white in color. This color is created by the reddish blood that shimmers through the light skin. He is about seven and a half centimeters tall. The missing eyes are a striking feature. In order to find their way in the total darkness, the animals have developed fine sensory skills. In addition, the catfish only moves slowly.

Habitat and Distribution

The catfish species is very rare and only lives in underground waters, such as cave waters. So far it has only been discovered in cave waters in Mexico and Texas . In Mexico it exists in underground water reservoirs of the Rio Grande near the town of Melchor Múzquiz in the Mexican state of Coahuila . It was only in 2016 more copies were in a deep limestone cave near Del Rio in the US National Park Amistad National Recreation Area discovered. Based on the localities, it was hypothesized that the cave waters under the Rio Grande in Mexico and Texas could be connected.

The animals are threatened by the pollution of groundwater and the abstraction of groundwater. The species has been on the IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species since 1994 .

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k Rare, Blind Catfish Never Before Found in US Discovered in National Park Cave in Texas. In: UT News | The University of Texas at Austin. June 17, 2016, accessed June 21, 2016 .
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l SPIEGEL ONLINE, Hamburg Germany: Cave find: Rare blind fish first discovered in the USA. In: SPIEGEL ONLINE. Retrieved June 21, 2016 .

Web links

Prietella phreatophila on Fishbase.org (English)

[unitexas-2016-06-17-1] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k Rare, Blind Catfish Never Before Found in US Discovered in National Park Cave in Texas. In: UT News | The University of Texas at Austin. June 17, 2016, accessed June 21, 2016 .

[spiegel-2016-06-21-2] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l SPIEGEL ONLINE, Hamburg Germany: Cave find: Rare blind fish first discovered in the USA. In: SPIEGEL ONLINE. Retrieved June 21, 2016 .