The first cavefish in the Dinaric Karst? Cave colonization made possible by phenotypic plasticity in Telestes karsticus.

ABSTRACT: Cave animals are an excellent model system for studying adaptive evolution. At present, however, little is known about the mechanisms that enable surface colonizers to survive in the challenging environment of caves. One possibility is that these species have the necessary genetic background to respond with plastic changes to the pressures of underground habitats. To gain insight into this process, we conducted a comparative study with the fish species Telestes karsticus, which occurs in a hydrological system consisting of an interconnected stream and a cave. Results showed that T. karsticus resided year-round and spawned in Sušik cave, making it the first known cavefish in the Dinaric Karst. Cave and surface populations differed in morphological and physiological characteris

SUBMITTER: Cupic M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10415781 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature