Der Höhlenfisch

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It was a worldwide sensation, the discovery of the cavefish in the Danube-Aach system in 2015. All the media reported on it after its publication in 2017, including numerous scientific media. This cavefish is the first recorded cavefish population in Europe and the northernmost cavefish population in the world. It is a species of brook loach (Barbatula barbatula), which presumably only separated from the surface loaches around 20,000 years ago and adapted to the "underworld", the so-called "Black Danube". Over the years, the fish has adapted to the living conditions in the underground cave system. Compared to its above-ground relatives, it has greatly reduced eyes and is almost blind. Its color is pale and its nostrils are enlarged. Its barbels (tactile appendages on the head) are longer for better orientation. It grows to a size of approx. 8.5 cm

Source: DZT Knowledge Graph