The Cavefish Chronicles

Today the cavefish is a model to study genetics and also neuroscience and disease. As the fish's story continues today, a mystery of the past is revealed.

Perihan Sadoglu was one of the first scientists to study cavefish genetics. Today scientists are building upon her work and others to better understand the fish's curious characteristics.

The Mexican caves where the cavefish originated are central to the story. In the 1960's and 1970's, explorers and scientists like Perihan Sadoglu searched for more caves to collect fish to study in the laboratory. Today scientists are going back to study the fish in its natural environment.

The cavefish's journey from cave to lab began close to 100 years ago and includes the explorers and scientists that helped pave its way, including Turkish scientist, Perihan Sadoglu who disappeared from science mid-career.

In the lobby of a Florida Atlantic University research building, there is a fish tank divided in two. On one side are fish without eyes, pale pink in color. On the other side are normal looking fish, silvery gray with black eyes. The plaque, however, identifies them both as Astyanax Mexicanus. The pale fish lives in subterranean caves in Mexico beneath the eyed river fish.Understanding how the same fish can look so different is a question that scientists have been investigating for over 80 years