Food-finding ability in cave fish (Astyanax fasciatus)

Abstract

When competing under cave similar conditions, such as darkness and food scarcity, cave fish find much more food than their epigean relatives. The cave fish not only react much faster to food but also their food-finding ability is four times higher compared to that of the epigean fish. Several morphological and ethological alterations in the cave fish, described by other authors, seem to be responsible for this adaptation to the cave conditions.