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{{Short description|Species of fish}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Spring cavefish
| image = Forbesichthys agassizii.jpg
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 20 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=NatureServe |date=2013 |title=''Forbesichthys agassizii'' |volume=2013 |page=e.T202611A18230637 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T202611A18230637.en |access-date=20 November 2021}}</ref>
| genus = Forbesichthys
| parent_authority = [[David Starr Jordan|D. S. Jordan]], 1929
| species = agassizii
| authority = ([[Frederic Ward Putnam|Putnam]], 1872)
| synonyms = ''Chologaster agassizii'' <small>Putnam, 1872 </small>
}}

The '''spring cavefish''' ('''''Forbesichthys agassizii''''') is the [[monotypic|only member]] of the genus '''''Forbesichthys''''' and is one of seven [[species]] in the family [[Amblyopsidae]]. This species is listed as [[List of endangered species in Missouri|state endangered]] in [[Missouri]], but it is considered to be of [[least concern]] by the [[International Union for Conservation of Nature|IUCN]] Red List due to its relatively large population size and number of subpopulations. The spring cavefish inhabits caves, springs, spring runs, and spring seeps. It is subterranean, emerging at dusk and retreating underground an hour or two before dawn. The species is located within areas of the [[Central United States|central]] and [[southeastern United States]]. It stays underground after dawn, but then emerges into surface waters at dusk. They are a carnivorous fish and are well adapted to their environment. The species' breeding behavior is rarely documented. [[Spawning]] occurs underground and in darkness between January and April. The status and distribution of cave-obligate species is incomplete or lacking entirely, which makes conservation and management decisions difficult. [[Kentucky]] and Missouri are the two main states that have their agencies managing this species in some way.

==Geographic distribution==
Originally found in a deep well in [[Lebanon, Tennessee]], the spring cavefish is distributed within the central and southeastern United States.<ref name=hill>Hill, L.G. 1969. ''Feeding and Food Habits of the Spring Cavefish,'' Chologaster agassizi. American Midland Naturalist:83:110-116.</ref> It inhabits select springs, spring runs/seeps, and caves from central and western Kentucky, west towards the Tennessee River, to south central Tennessee. It also is located in areas west across southern Illinois to southeastern Missouri.<ref>Page, L.M. and B.M. Burr. 1991. ''A field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico''. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. 432 pp.</ref>

The spring cavefish's distribution has decreased from within its original streams and springs. This species is affected by the activities on the surface of the ground. Any activity that reduces water quality or quantity affects the spring cavefish. It is vulnerable to pollution from many different sources. Some of these sources include nearby agricultural fields, pastures, [[septic tank]]s, sewage lagoons, [[urban runoff]], mines, and livestock waste.<ref name=mo>Missouri Department of Conservation. 2000. Policy Coordination Section.</ref> Some of the springs fluctuate drastically in flow and turbidity as a result of direct connections with surface drainage or they were enclosed as water supplies or otherwise modified by man.<ref>Poly, W.J., and C.E. Boucher. 1996. ''Nontroglobitic Fishes in Caves: Their Abnormalities, Ecological Classification and Importance.'' American Midland Naturalist: 136:187-198.</ref>

==Ecology==
Spring cavefish stay underground after dawn, but then emerge into surface waters at dusk. They are dark brown dorsally and fade to a creamy brown towards the pelvis and reach a maximum length of {{convert|3.5|in|cm|abbr=on}}. The head is sloped, and it has a protruding lower jaw. The fish has no [[pelvic fin]] or [[adipose fin]]. Its dorsal fin is set further back compared to most fish.<ref>Woods, L.P., and R.F. Inger. 1957. The Cave, Spring, and Swamp Fishes of the Family Amblyopsidae of Central and Eastern United States. ''American Midland Naturalist'' 58:232-256.</ref> This species is susceptible to developing [[retinoblastoma]]s.<ref>Fournie, J.W., and R.M. Overstreet. 1985. Retinoblastoma in the spring cavefish, Chologaster agassizi. Putnam. ''Journal of Fish Diseases'':8:377–381</ref>

The spring cavefish is well adapted to its environment, as it has a well-developed sensory system. This system occurs in clusters on the head. Most fish detect food by sight, taste, touch, or smell, or by a combination of these senses. Sight is important in the detection of food by most species, but this is presumably excluded with the slightly blind spring cavefish. They use their underdeveloped eyes to distinguish between light and darkness. However, spring cavefish cannot readily distinguish between edible and inedible substances by touch alone, but once in contact with the lips, the sense of taste enables the fish to distinguish among these items.<ref name=hill />

Another hurdle for this species is food is often lacking in their habitats, so they compensate for this scarcity of food with [[Cannibalism (zoology)|cannibalistic behavior]]. Cannibalism in the spring cavefish presumably serves two purposes: it enables the adults to survive in an environment where food is the principal limiting factor, and it serves as a means of population control.<ref name=hill/> The spring cavefish can be considered its own predator, because of the cannibalism behavior and the lack of natural predators within the caves. However, they eat a wide range of [[insects]], small [[crustaceans]], smaller fish, and some [[detritus]].<ref name=enc>Science Encyclopedia. 2011. Cave-Fish. ''Science Encyclopedia'' 1290 pp.</ref>

Cave environments provide a relatively stable habitat in terms of temperature fluctuations. However, the different species living in caves are reliant on food being brought to them by underground streams. This makes spring cavefish highly vulnerable to external factors as subterranean [[aquifer]]s are becoming increasingly tapped for irrigation purposes, and many sites may be at risk from drying out either temporarily or permanently.<ref name=enc/>

==Life history==
The breeding behavior of spring cavefish is sparsely documented. Spawning occurs underground and in darkness between January and April. Spring cavefish are [[oviparous]]; however, the eggs are carried in gill chambers of the females. Females produce roughly 100 young per female.<ref>Etnier, D.A., and W.E. Starnes. 1993. ''The fishes of Tennessee''. University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, Tennessee. 681 pp.</ref> The average spring cavefish lives for about three years and typically reaches a length of about {{convert|1.8|to|2.6|in|cm}}.<ref name=mo/>

==Conservation==
The status and distribution of cave-obligate species is incomplete or lacking entirely, which makes conservation and management decisions difficult.<ref name=enc/> This species is listed as endangered in Missouri. The IUCN Red List considers the spring cavefish to be of least concern due to its relatively large population size and number of subpopulations. This species is declining, but many of the reasons are unknown. The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources is proposing to investigate the status, distribution, ecology, phylogenetic relationships, and threats to populations of three cave-associated fishes in the family Amblyopsidae in Kentucky. Kentucky and Missouri are the two main states with agencies managing this species in some way. Missouri has purchased Cape LaCroix Bluffs Conservation Area to provide habitat for the state endangered spring cavefish. This 63.21-acre area supports natural wetlands, limestone bluffs, and beech mesophytic forests unique to eastern Missouri.<ref name=mo/>


==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Taxonbar|from1=Q3023750|from2=Q19826986}}

[[Category:Amblyopsidae]]
[[Category:Cave fish]]
[[Category:Endemic fish of the United States]]
[[Category:Freshwater fish of the Southeastern United States]]
[[Category:Fauna of the Plains-Midwest (United States)]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Frederic Ward Putnam]]
[[Category:Fish described in 1872]]

Spring cavefish - Revision history

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