Typhlichthys
| Typhlichthys subterraneus | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Percopsiformes |
| Family: | Amblyopsidae |
| Genus: |
Typhlichthys Girard, 1859 |
| Species: | T. subterraneus |
| Binomial name | |
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Typhlichthys subterraneus Girard, 1859 |
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Typhlichthys subterraneus, the southern cavefish, is a species of cavefish in the Amblyopsidae family endemic to karst regions of the eastern United States.
T. subterraneus is a member of Amblyopsidae and is one of five obligate troglobitic species in this family. T. subterraneus is currently the only member of the genus Typhlichthys, but it may be a cryptic species complex.
The southern cavefish was described by Charles Frédéric Girard in 1859 from a well near Bowling Green, Warren County, Kentucky. Later, Eigenmann in 1905 described both T. osborni and T. wyandotte based on differences in head width and eye diameter.Typhlichthys osborni was described from Horse Cave, Kentucky, whereas T. wyandotte was described from a well near Corydon, Indiana, that was later destroyed. In 2002, a well-like entrance into a cave on the property of a car dealership in Corydon was discovered and is believed to represent the type locality. Regardless, this species is generally considered invalid and was not listed as a locality in a review of the genus in 1957. In this review, all Typhlichthys populations were included in T. subterraneus, as they were unable to find any clear clear geographic pattern in morphological variation. Recent surveys in the vicinity of Corydon have failed to document T. subterraneus, finding only Amblyopsis spelaea. The most likely contender for recognition as a separate species is Typhlichthys eigenmanni Charlton, 1933, described from Camden County, Missouri. This name has often been considered invalid as a nomen nudum, but in 2006 it was shown that the name is available and a subjective synonym of T. subterraneus. Although the various populations are very closely related, T. subterraneus was considered a cryptic species complex (rather than a single species) based on genetic evidence in 2011. Based on this study, the Ozark highland population should be recognized as the species T. eigenmanni.
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