Cavefish is the name of several kinds of small fish that live in waters in and near caves in the eastern United States. Cavefish are also called blindfish. These fish spend their entire lives in caves. They have no eyes and no body pigment. They are pink because the blood shows through the flesh. A cavefish has rows of small projections on its body, including the head. These projections provide the fish with a keen sense of touch that helps the fish partially overcome its lack of sight. Cavefish grow no more than 5 inches (13 centimeters) in length.
One of the best-known kinds of cavefish is that found in Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. Scientists think that the ancestors of this fish once had eyes and that the eyes gradually degenerated through the ages in the cave environment.
In addition to the kinds of sightless fish called cavefish, more than 20 other kinds of fish are known to be blind. They live in caves and the deep sea throughout the world.
