Biologists have named the pale, eyeless creatures Demogorgonichthys arcanus, after the monstrous Demogorgons from Netflix's "Stranger Things" and the underworld demon of Greek mythology from which the Demogorgon name derives. They are likely among the rarest fishes in the world.
In a new study, published July 6 in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers described the cavefish find as a "discovery in plain sight." Study lead author Matthew Niemiller, who directs the cave biology lab at The University of Alabama in Huntsville, encountered the cavefish by chance during a routine survey of Bobcat Cave's largest chamber, known as the Shrimp Room, in early 2025.
Niemiller quickly snapped photos of the animals using an underwater camera before silt clouded his view of them. It wasn't until several days later, when he checked the photos, that he noticed the cavefish looked different from southern cavefish (Typhlichthys subterraneus), a known species within the cave.
Niemiller studied the cavefish with colleagues at Auburn University, The University of Alabama and Mississippi State University, with students performing much of the lab work. Genetic analysis revealed that demon cavefish didn't fit within any known cavefish group. Notably, demon cavefish carry unique disabling mutations for rhodopsin, a light-sensitive protein that would otherwise support dim light vision. Niemiller noted that this mattered for two reasons.
Demon cavefish and southern cavefish seemingly losing the ability to see independently is an example of how evolution can lead different species to converge on the same physical characteristics when they're suitable for an environment.
Demon cavefish have a combination of physical traits that set them apart from other cavefish, including a long and flat snout. (Image credit: Matthew L. Niemiller, Niemiller Nature LLC.)Researchers have found that the cave contains elevated levels of trace metals compared to what would normally be found in such a habitat. However, Niemiller noted that the restricted-access status of the military installation does limit disturbance in the cave.
The researchers concluded that demon cavefish would meet the criteria for becoming a "critically endangered" species, under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List — a framework for determining a species' conservation status. It's unknown how many demon cavefish live within the cave, and it's likely that many of them will be in places that are inaccessible to researchers.
RELATED STORIES"Like other cavefish, these animals probably spend much of their lives down in the water-filled aquifer below the cave, beyond where we can observe them, so any single survey is a snapshot, not a census," Niemiller said. "What we can say with some confidence is that it's known from just one cave system, it's rarely encountered, and by every measure we use, it qualifies as critically imperiled."
"What protects the shrimp's water protects the fish's water too," Niemiller said.
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