Toothless blindcat

Taxobox
name = Toothless blindcat
status = VU | status_system = IUCN2.3
status_ref = IUCN2006|assessors=Gimenez Dixon, M.|year=1996|title=Trogloglanis pattersoni|id=22273|downloaded=27 July 2007]
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Siluriformes
familia = Ictaluridae
genus = "Trogloglanis"
genus_authority = Eigenmann, 1919
species = "T. pattersoni"
binomial = "Trogloglanis pattersoni"
binomial_authority = Eigenmann, 1919

The toothless blindcat, "Trogloglanis pattersoni" is a species of catfish (order Siluriformes) of the family Ictaluridae.

This species inhabits subterranean habitats. This species is distributed in five artesian wells penetrating the San Antonio Pool of the Edwards Aquifer in and near San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, in the USA.

The toothless blindcat has no pigmentation and no externally visible eyes. The eye remnants are extremely reduced in size with very little or no trace of a retina, lens; the optic tract is present but always regresses before reaching the brain. In juveniles, the eye is under the skin, but as the fish grows the eyes are withdrawn even further. The head is as long as it is broad. The adipose fin is long and rounded at the end, and is connected to the caudal fin. The dorsal fin and pectoral fins have spines.cite journal|title="Trogloglanis pattersoni" a New Blind Fish from San Antonio, Texas|first=Carl H.|last=Eigenmann|journal=Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society|year=1919|pages=397–400] The swim bladder in these fish is reduced. The skull of this species is mostly cartilaginous and not well-ossified, unlike the adults of most larger ictalurids. The lateral line is fragmented and reaches to between the anterior to the posterior end of the adipose fin. This species also has a few paedomorphic traits (indicated by small size, kidney morphology, and weak ossification of the skeleton).cite journal|title=Morphological Adaptations of the Texas Blind Catfishes "Trogloglanis pattersoni" and "Satan eurystomus" (Siluriformes: Ictaluridae) to Their Underground Environment|first=Thomas G.|last=Langecker|coauthors=Longley, Glenn|journal=Copeia|year=1993|pages=976–986|doi=10.2307/1447075|volume=1993] This species may reach about 10.4 centimetres (4.1 in) SL.FishBase species|genus=Trogloglanis|species=pattersoni|year=2007|month=July]

"T. pattersoni" has a toothless, sucker-like mouth that possibly indicates that it is a detritivore.

References