Translucent Blind Catfish Found In Texas Cave
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SAN ANTONIO (CBSDFW.COM) - A never before seen species of fish was recently discovered in Texas - and they're unique in color, size, and the fact that they're blind.
The endangered eyeless catfish or Mexican blindcat was previously known to exist only south of Texas in Mexico. After rumored to have been seen one other time, a pair of the fish were discovered in a limestone cave at Amistad National Recreation Area, about 150 miles west of San Antonio. The fish were found in May and have been relocated to the San Antonio Zoo.
The Mexican blindcat is unique because it won't grow larger than three inches long. The blindcats have a pinkish-white color because their blood can be seen through their translucent skin.
According to Dean Hendrickson, curator of ichthyology at the University of Texas at Austin, the discovery is the first confirmed blindcat sighting in Texas.
The fish are not yet on display at the San Antonio Zoo, and are being held in a special facility designed to accommodate cave and aquifer species.
With the discovery, the U.S. now has a total of three blind catfish species, all of which were found in Texas. The two other species are the toothless blindcat and the widemouth blindcat.
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