cavefish

American  

[keyv-fish] / ˈkeɪvˌfɪʃ /

noun

cavefish, plural cavefishes plural

1. any of several fishes that live in cave waters, as species of the genus Amblyopsis, having no body pigment and rudimentary, functionless eyes.

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cavefish British  

/ ˈkeɪvˌfɪʃ /

noun

1. any of various small freshwater cyprinodont fishes of the genera Amblyopsis, Chologaster, etc, living in subterranean and other waters in S North America See also blindfish

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• cavefishes
  plural
• cavefish
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cavefish

First recorded in 1870–75; cave + fish

Example Sentences

The researchers show that in the absence of food, cavefish at early developmental stages not only survive much longer than their river fish counterparts, but also do not accumulate liver fat.

From Science Daily • Mar. 18, 2024

Now, new research shows how naturally starvation-resistant cavefish, unlike other animals, are able to protect their liver and remain healthy.

From Science Daily • Mar. 18, 2024

Manufacturers must revise product labels to include new instructions, such as reducing spraying near critical habitat of protected species such as the sandhill crane and Alabama cavefish.

From Science Magazine • Aug. 30, 2023

To better understand the consequences of the cavefish’s loss of muscle mass, Olsen and his colleagues dissected muscle fibers from both cavefish and surface fish and electrically stimulated them.

From Scientific American • Feb. 24, 2023

The researchers found that the cavefish muscle fibers contracted with less force than those of surface fish.

From Scientific American • Feb. 24, 2023