Species: Lucifuga spelaeotes, Cave Brotula

Lucifuga spelaeotes Cohen & Robins, 1970

Cave Brotula

Body elongate, tapering to a narrow tail base; head deep at rear, snout depressed, forehead profile concave; top of head cavernous; eye small (0.7-1.8% of SL), with a protruding lens; top jawbone vertically expanded at rear, a small downpointing knob near lower rear corner; male with a large fleshy pad on outside of mouth at tip of jaw; top jaw with 4-10 rows of teeth; center and sides of roof of mouth with 1-7 rows of teeth; no central tooth patch at bottom of gill arches; 15-23 gill rakers, 3 long rakers; no spine at lower angle of preopercle; dorsal fin 86-109, highest at rear; anal fin 66-82 rays; pectoral base broader than long, pectoral 18-20; tail fin fully connected with dorsal and anal fins; tail fin 10 rays; lateral line in 2 parts, shorter front part on upper side, lower part along midside, 12-19 + 30-47 pores; body covered with regularly overlapping scales; rear of top of head with scales in center but not sides, area between preopercular and lateral head canals covered with scales; male penis without bone-reinforced pseudoclaspers.

Uniform pale to overall dark reddish brown to blackish; dark fish with dorsal and anal fins light or with dark bases; lips and skin over cavernous parts of head may be clear to whitish grey; edges of vertical fins and pectorals and ventrals white to clear; long gill rakers dark.

Reaches 18 cm.

Lives in caves and sinkholes in total darkness; brackish water to marine.

Depth range: 0-28 m.

The Bahamas.