Scientists have discovered a new species of blind fish, named Demogorgonichthys arcanus, or 'demon cavefish,' in a subterranean pool beneath the U.S. Army's Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. The creature, which measures only two inches long and lacks eyes and pigmentation, was identified by a University of Alabama research team.
The fish is genetically distinct from other North American cavefish, appearing to have diverged approximately 11.6 million years ago. Over millions of years, it has evolved to thrive in complete darkness, developing specialized sensory organs across its body in place of sight. Researchers noted the surprising co-existence of this unique species with the Southern Cavefish (Typhlichthys subterraneus) in the same habitat, as they have taken distinctly different evolutionary paths.
"Finding an entirely unknown, new genus of freshwater fish in eastern North America today is a little like finding a new kind of big cat," said Dr. Matthew Niemiller, an associate professor of biological sciences, in a press release. "The group is so well known, we thought the big surprises were behind us."
Observations between 2019 and 2025 revealed that the demon fish inhabits a small aquifer system beneath Redstone Arsenal. Due to its limited habitat and reliance on groundwater, scientists consider the species highly vulnerable to environmental changes, potentially making it critically imperiled.
The location of the cave on Redstone Arsenal, a base known for its role in missile and space technology and often linked to UFO conspiracy theories, may have inadvertently provided the fish with some protection from surface development. However, the research team found that the cave's environment was contaminated with trace metals such as cadmium, chromium, and lead. These metals, detected in water samples over the past two decades, are believed to have leached from an old industrial area of the base where explosives were once disposed of. The base itself, established in 1941, is a significant site for various military and civilian organizations, including the U.S. Space Command.