Waterfall climbing cave fish
species of fish
The waterfall climbing cave fish (Cryptotora thamicola), also known as the cave angel fish, is a species of troglobitic hillstream loach endemic to Thailand. It reaches a length of 2.8 centimetres (1.1 in) SL. This fish is known for its fins, which can grapple onto terrain, and its ability to climb. In 2016 it was reported that the waterfall climbing cave fish walks with a tetrapod-like diagonal-couplets lateral sequence gait, displaying a robust pelvic girdle attached to the vertebral column.
This fish is the only known member of its genus.
The species has been recorded from eight subterranean sites within a large karst system (Pang Mapha karst formation) in Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand. The species has an extent of occurrence of nearly 200 km2, but an area of occupancy of 6 km2; the connectivity of this karst systems is unknown, some caves are definitely connected. The species is found in eight of the caves. It has been recorded from the Susa (from where it was first collected in May 1985) and Tham Mae Lana (Borowsky and Vidthayanon 2001). It may also occur in other submerged caves in the area. However, the species has a potential threat of agricultural pollution which could impact the whole karst system, making it one location.
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The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 11, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q3314215. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2016, 1985 and 2001.
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This entry incorporates text from “Waterfall climbing cave fish” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.