In search of blind fish in a dark cave

[kuching]

Feb 24, 2008. When somebody told me that he found a blind cave fish in a secret cave of Sarawak, I decided to go to explore that cave. The cave is bigger than I thought! The cave passage is so long like there is no dead end! And there is even got waterfall inside the cave!

In this trip, I spotted a milky white fish which the shape looks like forest walking catfish (Clarias species) swam into a hole & failed to catch it.

Then, I caught a giant cave shrimp (about 10cm long) which is also milky white & brownish coloured! It looks like a wood shrimp except it has a pair of big front legs which I believe is enable the shrimp to crawl effectiently inside the dark cave. It is twice bigger than the wood shrimp outside the cave. I believe it is a new species.


Many thanks to John, Andrew & Nasir for joining this expedition.



I was shocked when I saw the waterfall deep inside the cave!!!





This is the spot where I saw the blind cave fish!





The strange looking wood shrimp inside the subterranean stream:






Got a pair of big front legs!!! New species???





Subterranean stream. There is a subterranean river in lower part of it....but the cave passage is so long that we didn't have enough time to explore.






More photos will be posted tomorrow.

[benetay]

Very interesting find, hope you are able to get the blind cave fish eventually. Will you be heading back to explore even further in?

Please update us on the new discovery, you might be the first to discover a new species and announce it to the world.

Cheers!

[juggler]

Mike: This is awesome. Reminds me of the BBC documentary: Planet Earth (episode 4: Caves)

Be careful. Make sure safe to go into caves without breathing appratus in case of toxic gases.

BTW - any bats or other creepy crawlies in this cave?

[luenny]

Awesome pictures Mike. Hopefully I can go to trips like this someday.

[trident]

Mike,
Beautiful. Any pictures of the blind fish?
Wish we had a cave like that here

[kuching]

Very interesting find, hope you are able to get the blind cave fish eventually. Will you be heading back to explore even further in?

Please update us on the new discovery, you might be the first to discover a new species and announce it to the world.

Cheers!

Probably that cave wood shrimp is a new species because I never seen a wood shrimp like that before!

[kuching]

Mike: This is awesome. Reminds me of the BBC documentary: Planet Earth (episode 4: Caves)

Be careful. Make sure safe to go into caves without breathing appratus in case of toxic gases.

BTW - any bats or other creepy crawlies in this cave?

yes, lots of bat & bats' dropping - guano!!!

[kuching]

Awesome pictures Mike. Hopefully I can go to trips like this someday.

Thanks for viewing.

[kuching]

Mike,
Beautiful. Any picyures pf the blind fish?
Wish we had a cave like that here

Failed to catch it....so no picture. Will go back to find it.

[kuching]

Before showing the photos of our expedition, I took a few shots of Nasir who was showing off his "super power" in the cave....hee....hee...


Don't play-play huh.....





Nasir is showing his power!





Don't get close to him....run & hide!!!

[kuching]

The cave passage is very very long & the ceiling is very high! The dark cave is full of live! We had to turn the head lamp off when we we're not moving around as there are swarm of flying bugs (fruits fly & others) attract by the light & flying around our head.


A pile of bamboo left by bird nest collectors:




We're walking along the stream. We have to get out of the cave immediately if the water level is suddenly increasing ( indicate the heavy rain outside the cave); else we may wash away by flash flood:

[kuching]

It was an amazing discovery for me to find out there are so many living creature inside a dark cave (far away from the cave mouth)!

The most interesting one is the shrimp. Two species of the shrimps were found in the subterranean stream. Both of them believe to be same species as those found in the rivers outside the cave. The main different is the coloration. The cave shrimps are brownish & yellowish coloured but the shrimps outside the cave have darker colouration.

The biggest one I found is wood shrimp (Atyopsis moluccensis) which is around 10cm long.

The second one, is the common species in that cave is Macrobrachium sp. which has a pair of hairy pincers. (same as the one found outside the cave)

Besides, freshwater snail, Clea species also found in the dark subterranean stream!!!!

I believe there will be more interesting species of fauna yet to be discovered in the upcoming expedition!


Wood shrimp from the cave:

[kuching]

The wood shrimp (Atyopsis moluccensis) found in a clearwater river outside the cave:




A clearwater river about few KM away from the cave:




Macrobrachium sp. which has a pair of hairy pincers:

[kuching]

Freshwater snail, Clea sp. (from the cave)





Collecting fish outside the cave;




Found my "old friend", Betta taeniata:





Unidentified species of plant near the cave:






Giant cave spide (some of them as big as a plate!!!):





Giant spider!!!

[kuching]

Giant cave spider (Heteropoda)




Spider is eating the cave cricket:





Cave cricket (probably Diestrammera sp.)






Young cave swiftlet & an egg.




Young cave swiftlet. (nest is built on the wall of dark cave)






Cave entrance:





A hut near the cave (edited using PS; motion blur):

[kuching]

Water parameter:

KH : 228

PH : 8.0

Temperature: forgot to measure; should be around 26 degree Celsius.

[Andreas Werth]

Hi,
very interesting and beautiful illustrated story. The cave shrimp is a great find. Thank you for sharing.

[MrTree]

i believe the shrimp will turn back to normal coloration if you keep it under normal lighting.

[Merviso]

Hi Michael,


For the Wood Shrimps, I thought the one with the big front legs is the male, while the one with small front legs is the female. I have a pair at home and the female is now berried with eggs...

I do notice the difference of the front legs on your picture that have a sharp protruding edge, which is very difference from the nomal Wood Shrimps.



Really envy you to be able to explore such places with interesting plants and animals. Maybe we can organize a trip in the near future to explore some new places with you.. Cheers!

[luenny]

Yeah yeah please organize such trip. I want to go grab some of those Macrobrachium sp. home.