Phreatichthys andruzzii
| Phreatichthys andruzzii | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Phreatichthys andruzzii | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cypriniformes |
| Family: | Cyprinidae |
| Genus: | Phreatichthys Vinciguerra, 1924 |
| Species: | P. andruzzii |
| Binomial name | |
| Phreatichthys andruzzii Vinciguerra, 1924 | |
Phreatichthys andruzzii is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is the only species of the genus Phreatichthys, and is endemic to Somalia. This cave-adapted fish is whitish (non-pigmented) and blind. It is considered to have evolved in the cave environment for some two million years.[1] Its name derives from the Greek words phreasatos for spring, and ichthys for fish. It grows to a maximum length of 6.2 centimetres (2.4 in).
This fish is the first animal discovered that does not adjust its biological clock with the light of the Sun. It has an unusual internal clock, which measures the passage of time with an extremely long period (up to 47 hours). It is also completely blind to all light stimuli.
See also
- Uegitglanis zammaranoi, a cave-living catfish from Somalia
References
- ↑ Gough, Zoe. "Blind cavefish are able to 'count'". BBC. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
Sources
- Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2011). "Phreatichthys andruzzii" in FishBase. August 2011 version.
- World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1996. Phreatichthys andruzzii. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 19 July 2007.
- University of Ferrara. "Orologi biologici in un pesce cieco". Le Scienze Web. Retrieved 8 September 2011.
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