A stranger from the deep....

Photo courtesy of W.A.Museum, Douglas Elford

The blind cave eel , Ophisternon candidum, is a nightmarish looking creature that inhabits an environment from the worst of our dreams. Humans have an innate fear of the dark. The blind cave eel embraces it, making its home deep beneath the earth in underwater caves on Australia's north-west coast. It has gone so far as to forego one of our most treasured sensory receptors: eyes. In place of these wonders of evolution, the blind cave eel has a flat spot. Its head has almost no distinctive markings on it adding to its eerie appearance. On the surface, Ophisternon candidum is an ominous looking serpent that silently stalks the dark depths of underground caves, but when one delves deeper you will find an intriguing product of evolution. So please, take some time to delve deeper and push past your fears and see what the blind cave eel has to offer. Ophisternon infernale. A very close relative. Courtesy of Dr. Thomas M. IliffeThis site will give you an overview of the unique habitat the blind cave eel chooses to call home in the habitat page. Want to learn more about the other denizens of the deep the blind cave eel shares its habitat with? Check out the interactions page! Through many years of troglobitic life, this creature has become the product of many evolutionary adaptations. A history of its adaptations wouldn't be complete without looking into the reproduction of this amazing animal. Through chronicling the evolutionary history of Ophisternon candidum, scientists have been able to fit into a taxonomic classification based on its life history and traits. Just feel like some interesting facts? Or maybe some more cave dwellers? Then this site has got you covered. No matter what you're here for, I hope that you find this site informative. Thanks for visiting!-Mike.