Researchers were surprised to find a new species of “devil cave fish” in a cave that’s been extensively studied beneath a military site in Alabama.
The scientists from the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) unveiled this eye-less, colorless fish, with a faint electric blue hue. The new species is named Demogorgonichthys arcanus, or “Devil’s Cave Fish,” and was located in Bobcat Cave under the U.S. Army’s Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville.
The name Demogorgonichthys refers to a mythical figure and is inspired by the game Dungeons & Dragons and the series Stranger Things. Arcanus implies “hidden” or “secret,” which reflects the fish’s elusive nature and its long-term concealment in cave environments.
“I wouldn’t have guessed that this was the setting for such a discovery,” remarked lead author Dr. Matthew L. Niemiller. He humorously compared the find of a new freshwater fish genus in eastern North America to discovering a new big cat species.
The UAH team shared their findings in a scientific report, collaborating with researchers from three other institutions.
Interestingly, the pool housing this “devil’s cave fish” is also where the “southern cave fish” can be found, although the two species are not closely related. Niemiller emphasized the uniqueness of their evolutionary paths, noting they diverged millions of years ago and evolved to thrive in darkness independently.
“That’s a clear example of convergent evolution,” he noted, pointing out that the Bobcat Cave system has been studied regularly for over 30 years.
Discovering a new species in such a well-monitored location was unexpected and serves as a reminder to remain curious, as Niemiller put it.
This area has garnered a reputation akin to “Area 51” due to the high level of security and secrecy surrounding military operations and projects related to defense.
However, because the “devil cave fish” is only known to exist in a single cave and its related aquifer, it faces significant risks from potential changes in groundwater and hydrology. Although the military base protects the cave from direct disturbances, external threats, like pollutants and sedimentation, still pose risks to this hidden species. UAH researchers have noted potential contamination in the fish’s habitat from military chemical residues.
Over the past couple of decades, elevated levels of metals such as cadmium and lead have been detected in the water samples from Bobcat Cave, according to Niemiller’s team.
Even with this extraordinary discovery, Niemiller remarked that the research team has much work left to do. The existence of the “Devil’s Cave Fish” suggests that, even in areas we think we know well, there are more secrets waiting to be uncovered.
