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Congo blind barb
Caecobarbus geertsii
Caecobarbus is a monospecific genus of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cyprinidae. which includes the carps, barbs and related fishes. The only species in the genus is Caecobarbus geertsi, the African blind barb or Congo blind barb (known as Nzonzi a mpofo in the local Kikongo language, meaning "blind barb"). This threatened cavefish is only known from Democratic Republic of the Congo, George Albert Boulenger described this fish in 1921 and it apparently lacks any close relatives in the Congo region.
Despite its common name, "African blind barb", other blind cave cyprinids are indigenous to Africa, notably the Somalian Barbopsis devecchi and Phreatichthys andruzzii.
From the article Caecobarbus on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), quoted section by section
Description
Like other cavefish, the Congo blind barb has reduced pigmentation and no externally visible eyes. Because of the lack of pigment, it appears pale whitish-pink overall. The operculum and lateral line region are purplish-red due to the gills and lateral line veins, respectively. The eye completely lacks a lens, and the retina and optical nerve are rudimentary and located deep inside the head. Despite this, the fish is photophobic, actively avoiding light. Its maximum total length is 12 cm (4.7 in). Minor differences have been described between the different cave populations; some have a spot on the opercular and one has a serrated dorsal fin spine.
Wikipedia: “Appearance”
Range & habitat
The Congo blind barb is found only in the Thysville Cave system, a part of the lower Congo River basin (notably Kwilu and Inkisi tributaries) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The area where it is found covers about 120 km2 (45 mi2), and is located at an altitude around 700–850 m (2,300–2,800 ft) above sea level. It was initially known from seven caves in the Thysville system and an additional seven were discovered in the 2000s (decade). The caves where found have high levels of calcium bicarbonate in the water and high variations in flood levels, meaning that animals such as terrestrial cave insects are absent.
Wikipedia: “Range”
What it does
The Congo blind barb mainly relies on food items that flow into the cave during the rainy (flood) season, but it may also feed on small crustaceans. Its longevity is estimated to be 9–14 years, but it may be able to live longer. It is slow-growing and likely has a slow reproduction rate. The adhesive eggs are spawned freely, ending up in crevices and pores in the bottom, which protects them from predation.
== References ==
Wikipedia: “Behavior”
Where it lives
Recorded sightings
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geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.
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In the stacks
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Every page naming Caecobarbus geertsii in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
This page is assembled live from iNaturalist, GBIF, Wikipedia, the Source Library and the Internet Archive. It is not yet part of the hand-edited codex. iNaturalist taxon 96398.