Trogloglanis pattersoni

Toothless Blindcat

FWS Focus

Overview

Characteristics
Overview

This rare, eyeless catfish exists in total darkness, 900 feet below the surface under San Antonio, Texas. The toothless blindcat swims in the groundwater in the Edwards Balcones Fault Zone Aquifer and is presumed to scavenge food sources both from invertebrates and fungus with its sucker-like, whiskered mouth. The only way we even know about this deep aquifer species is because it is captured through agriculture wells and artesian springs that pump groundwater to the surface. This species was petitioned for listing by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and is undergoing review. Thanks to the efforts of our partners and the Texas Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office, we are gaining distribution and water chemistry data that can be used for the species status assessment. This is one of only three known blind catfish species in the United States, and all three are found in Texas.

Scientific Name

Trogloglanis pattersoni
Common Name
Toothless Blindcat
FWS Category
Fishes
Kingdom

Location in Taxonomic Tree

Identification Numbers

TSN:

Characteristics

Characteristic category

Habitat

Characteristics
Habitat
Cave or Karst

A natural chamber or series of chambers in the earth or in the side of a hill or cliff. An irregular limestone region with sinkholes, underground streams and caverns.

Geography

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11 Items