Researchers were stunned when they discovered a new “demon cave fish” in a well-studied cave beneath a US Army post in Alabama. Scientists at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) discovered a new genus of cavefish that is eyeless, colorless and slightly electric blue in life, according to a UAH news release from July. The new genus, formally known as Demogorgonichthys arcanus but aptly named “cave demonfish,” was discovered in Bobcat Cave beneath the U.S. Army Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville. Researchers discovered Demogorgonichthys arcanus, commonly known as the “cave demon fish,” in a well-studied cave system in Alabama. Jam Press/Matthew L. Niemiller, Niemiller Nature LLC Demogorgonichthys refers to the mythological underworld figure “Demogorgon” known through the game “Dungeons & Dragons” and the Netflix show “Stranger Things,” while arcanus means “hidden” or “secret,” according to the UAH. The newly discovered “cave demon fish” represents an entirely new genus and species. Jam Press/Matthew L. Niemiller, Niemiller Nature LLC Combined, the scientific name reflects the cryptic species’ subterranean habitat and its decades-long concealment in the cave system. “This is one of the last places we would bet,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Matthew L. Niemiller. “Finding a completely unknown new genus of freshwater fish in eastern North America today is a bit like finding a new type of big cat,” he joked. “The group is so well known that we thought the big surprises were already behind us.” UAH researchers, as part of the University of Alabama System, published their findings in Scientific Reports in July in collaboration with researchers from three other regional universities. Surprisingly, the pond in which the “demon cavefish” was discovered is home to the “southern cavefish,” although the two species are not close relatives. “This is the part I find most notable,” says Niemiller, adding that the two species “found their own way to the underworld and lost their eyes and pigment independently, millions of years apart.” Bobcat Cave in Alabama is one of the most studied cave systems in the U.S. Jam Press/Matthew L. Niemiller, Niemiller Nature LLC “It’s a vivid case of convergent evolution,” he said. The Bobcat Cave system has been monitored “at least quarterly” for more than 30 years. “To have one appear in a cave that we have observed for three decades is a real reminder to stay curious. It was really surprising,” Niemiller added. The “cave demon fish” is less than 2 inches long. Jam Press/Matthew L. Niemiller, Niemiller Nature LLC Redstone-Arsenal has been compared to Alabama’s “Area 51” due to the secretive and highly secure nature of the Army base that handles critical defense and missile programs as well as classified aerospace projects. Because the new “cave demon fish” was only found in one cave and its connected aquifer beneath the US Army base, researchers believe it is very vulnerable to changes in hydrology and groundwater quality. While the restricted-access military base protects the cave system from “direct disturbance,” the cryptic species remains vulnerable to “threats originating from the surface, including contaminants, sediment, and changing water conditions,” according to the UAH. Researchers determined that the fish’s underground habitat has been contaminated, likely by chemical weapons residue from the military base. “Trace metals, including cadmium, chromium, and lead, have been detected at elevated concentrations in water samples from Bobcat Cave over the past two decades,” Niemiller’s team wrote in their scientific report. Researchers believe the habitat of the “cave demon fish” has been contaminated by explosive chemicals from the military base. Jam Press/Matthew L. Niemiller, Niemiller Nature LLC Despite the miraculous but cryptic discovery, Niemiller said his team’s work is far from over. “The ‘Cave Demon Fish’ is a reminder that our inventories are far from over, even in well-explored locations,” he said.
