Post by @sunguramy@flipping.rocks

I am happy to announce our latest paper! "Surprising cryptic cavefish diversity in a long-studied karst cave ecosystem of northern Alabama"

I absolutely love our name for it too, an entire new genus, not just species: Demogorgonichthys arcanus

https://rdcu.be/fsgWT

Why did it take so long to find, in a highly monitored cave? Well just take a look at the mud with water channels and low ceilings, and we cannot typically even get into the water because of other protected and highly endangered species. So visual surveying is difficult, and limited. The paper is an excellent read even for not-biologists, and the images are *amazing*. So proud of our lab!

#cave #caves #biology #fish #nature #speleology #science #animals

Panoramic style image of a very muddy passage with low ceilings. We can see two figures hunched in a low crawl peering into the channels of water cut through the mud. It is very slippery, difficult not to fall in, yet imperative to not! Lest the water get silted up instantly, or worse, one of the endangered critters in it getting hurt. This cave is "not a fun cave". Not even type 2 fun. Although...it was the day we found this fish!

Surprising cryptic cavefish diversity in a long-studied karst cave ecosystem of northern Alabama

Scientific Reports - Surprising cryptic cavefish diversity in a long-studied karst cave ecosystem of northern Alabama

#speleology #caves #cave #fish #animals #biology #science #nature

Megan ⚘

@meg@fediscience.org 1 hour ago

@sunguramy The caves in northern Alabama truly are something.