Detect eyeless fish under Madagascar's death hole

Scientists have discovered a new species of fish under a death hole in the southern Madagascar Islands.

John S Sparks of the American National Museum of History and Prosanta Chakrabarty from Louisiana State University (USA) have discovered a new species of fish that lives under a dead hole in the southern Madagascar Islands. The new species is named Typhlerotris mararybe.

New fish species Typhlerotris mararybe

In the local language "Mararybe" means "seriously ill" . The reason why scientists named the new fish is Mararybe is because they suddenly feel uncomfortable and quickly lose strength after swimming in the death hole to find new fish. Local people call this symptom 'death pit fever'.

Typhlerotris mararybe has a relatively small size, with a body length of about 3.8cm. Like other fish in the cave, it has no eyes, but in return the sensory organs above its head are very developed.

Local people often visit and pray at this death hole because they consider it a very sacred place. While local people know some fish species in the cave, they have never met Typhlerotris mararybe, even though some people often go to this death pit.

Typhlerotris mararybe is published in a study published in the American Museum Novitates magazine .