Blind Cave Fish

COMMON NAMES: Blind Cave Fish, BlindCave Tetra or Blind Characin.

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Astyanax fasciatusmextcanus.

SYNONYM: Anoptichthys jordani

DESIGNATION: Tropical but will tolerate thenigh end of the coldwater temperature range.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: A few streams- lakes in caves around San Luis Potosi

SIZE: Around 9 cm (3.5 in).

WATER PREFERENCES: Will tolerate a range of conditions.but slightly hard, alkaline water kept between 18-30°C (64.5-86°F) is preferred.

DIET: All foods: a regular vegetablecorromemt thould be provided

BREEDING: Spawning is in typical Characin fashion, consisting of rigorous chases andegg and egg-scattering. Adults are avid egg-eatersand therefore. be removed as soon asspawning is over The eggs take between one and three days to hatch, depending ontemperature, and the fry may be reared as inNeons and other Characins.

DESCRIPTION: Scientific evidence,including the natural occurrence of fertilehybrids between the Blind Cave Fish and itsassumed ancestor, the fully sighted andpigmented Mexican Tetra, indicates that bothfish belong to the same species. Theirapparently huge differences can, in fact, bereduced to relatively simple and minorgenetic differences, such as the presence/absence of pigment and the full/arresteddevelopment of eyes.

Both of these can be genetically controlledquite easily but can have a very pronouncedvisible effect. For instance, even if a fish hasall the genetic equipment necessary to produce colour, it will be unable to do so if thesimple genetic 'switch' which controls thewhole process is either missing or is not sending out the 'message' to produce colour.While virtually everyone is now convincedthat the Blind Cave Fish is no more than acave-dwelling form of the Mexican Tetra, andthat the old name, Anoptichthys jordani, is nolonger valid, there is still some debateconcerning the exact nature of its current,valid scientific name.

Blind Cave Fish Information

• The fish is so named because it lacks eyesight. Though they do not have eyes but they have the highly developed instinct for navigation. The fish swims in the water with the help of the bouncing of the sound waves from the obstructions that fall on their path.
• The fish is devoid of eyes as it is the creature of deep sea Ocean. It originates in the deep oceans of the Mexico. Since there is limited rays of light in the ocean deep and hardly any existence of predators are felt the fish does not require the capacity to see.
• Apart from eyes the fish is also interestingly devoid of any type of pigmentation. It has a pinkish hue of body color as because of the blood vessels lying underneath the skin.
• Despite its lack of eyes and pigmentation the fish quite popular among aquarium owner. The fish is active but peaceful in nature. The fish is a perfect breed for a community tank.
• The lighting of the tank is not a major problem for the fish owner for keeping the fish as pet. The fish requires ample space to move and swim freely as it is quite active in nature. The fish is hardy enough to tolerate any type of water from soft acidic to hard alkaline water.