cavefish

American  

[keyv-fish] / ˈkeɪvˌfɪʃ /

noun

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

"We have discovered for the first time an organism -- cavefish -- that can avoid fatty liver under starvation conditions," said Cobham.

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

What’s fascinating, Olsen says, is that while humans with diabetes or obesity have increased inflammation, the cavefish do not, despite having lots of fat and sugar in their muscle.

From Scientific American • Feb. 24, 2023

Mexican cavefish, in contrast, have modified an enzyme to make their muscles efficient at storing sugar as glycogen, so they can withstand food scarcity yet outswim floods when required.

From Scientific American • Feb. 24, 2023