Dama ciega blanca  (Typhliasina pearsei)

Classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN red List 2006 (1).

Like many brotulids, this blind, cave-dwelling fish has evolved to exist completely without eyes. This unusual-looking species has a large head with a broad snout, while the scaled body is clear white to pinkish, with long translucent dorsal and anal fins (2).

Occurs along the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico in Central America (2) (3).

Found in freshwater limestone caves and sinkholes (2) (3).

The dama ciega blanca is believed to feed primarily upon a variety of crustaceans. Females ‘give birth’ to two to eleven live young, depending on the female’s size. Reproduction occurs between December and February, and young are independent from birth (2).

The main threats to this species are various forms of water pollution caused by humans. In rural areas sewage is rarely treated before being discarded, and industrial and domestic waste is sometimes disposed of in caves. Another threat comes from over-harvesting of fresh-water, which may lead to saline waters creeping into the normally freshwater zone. The human population of the Yucatan peninsula is growing, so a greater and greater strain on water resources can be expected in the future. Another potential threat is the modification and/or the intensive use of this fish’s habitat by humans for recreational or tourism purposes (2).

There are currently no conservation measures targeting this species.

View information on this species at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

For more information on the dama ciega blanca see:

• Anchialine Caves and Cave Fauna of the World:
  http://www.tamug.edu/cavebiology/fauna/bonyfish/T_pearsei.html