Rare Blind Fish of Calbiga

Blind fish of Calbiga Cave Samar

caecogobius cryptophthalmus

I was so happy to get this photo of the rare blind fish of the Calbiga cave system in Samar last weekend.

The picture is obviously not professional but I was there and I took it, and was happy to get it even if it is a little blurry!

The pictures suck indeed, but that is the blind crab along the shore and a blind fish is just offshore. I have only seen this fish one time in a branch of the Langun chamber of Calbiga.

This fish was discovered by an Italian spelunking team in 1987
caecogobius cryptophthalmus also spelled
caecogobius cryptophtalmus

I have read that it is the first gobinee identified world wide. Also the first hipogean fish found in the Philippines. ps I have no idea what that means.

This is the same picture as the one on top but it is not cropped. I only got one clear shot of this fish, less than 3 inches in length.

I would really like to see National Geographic get in there with some pro camera equipment. They could have cameras mounted on booms and get some great shots.

It is rather difficult to get back in there and you have to time it when the water is low. The river bank is very slick and footing is difficult.

The white blur is the blind fish.

We stayed in the cave for three days but went into this chamber one time only. It would not be possible during the rainy season.

The river disappears into the rock wall at the very end. To get caught up in the current would mean certain death.

Here is a shot of a blind crab and that white spot ahead of it is also a blind fish. I know these pictures are really third rate but the conditions are difficult.

I should have brought along an underwater case for my camera because water dripping from the ceiling was a constant threat.

Here is the blind crab. These crabs are not as rare as the blind fish and you will see a variation of these guys in almost all the “wet” caves in this area.