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

Noun Inflected Forms

• cavefish
  plural
• cavefishes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cavefish

First recorded in 1870–75; cave + fish

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cavefish

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

The researchers compared gene expression levels between cavefish, river fish, zebrafish, and even fruit flies, identifying a gene that is activated during prolonged periods of starvation in all but cavefish.

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

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

From Scientific American ● Feb. 24, 2023

When Olsen and his colleagues looked at what was going on biochemically in cavefish muscle, they found increased levels of both enzymes that store glycogen and those that break it down.

From Scientific American ● Feb. 24, 2023