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Elk River Basin - Ozark Cavefish
Source: Missouri Fish and Wildlife Information System available at http://www.conservation.mo.gov/cgi-bin/mofwis/search.cgi?record=0100025&MATCH=exact |
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Elk River | James River | Sac River | Spring River | North Fork Salt River |
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Missouri Watershed Information Network (MoWIN) |
Page last updated August 26, 2008 |
One species of fish in the Elk River Basin is listed as “threatened” under the Federal
Endangered Species Act and as “endangered” by the state of Missouri. The Ozark cavefish
(Amblyopsis rosae), is only about two inches long. It lives in the caves of southwest Missouri.
Because the caves that the Ozark cavefish inhabits
are dark, the fish does not need pigmentation to camouflage it from predators.
The Ozark cavefish is also blind because it does
not need functional eyes in its dark environment. It
is very sensitive to pollution and the number of these fish is declining.
It is important that we work to protect the water
that runs into the caves where they live.
