Teleostei (teleosts) >
Gobiiformes (Gobies) >
Milyeringidae (Blind cave gudgeons)
Etymology: Typhleotris: Greek, typhlos = blind + the name of a Nile fish, eleotris (Ref. 45335); pauliani: Named in honor of the prominent French entomologist and former deputy director of the Institut de Recherche Scientifique de Madagascar, Renaud Paulian, who collected the specimens on which the original description is based end who did much seminal work on western Indian Ocean biogeography (Ref. 93144).
Eponymy: Dr Renaud Maurice Adrien Paulian (1913–2003) was a French zoologist, considered one of the greatest entomologists of the 20th century and the leading European expert on scarab beetles. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal. Tropical
Africa: Madagascar, caves and sinkholes to the north of the Onilahy River drainage (Ref. 6802, 93144). Probably it is also collected from caves inland and just south of Andavadoaka (Ref. 93144).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 7.1 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 93144)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 6; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7 - 8; Anal spines: 1; Anal soft rays: 7 - 8; Vertebrae: 24 - 25. Diagnosis: It is distinguished from congeners by the absence of scales on the head, less the operculum, the presence of single and feeble leading spines in both the second dorsal and anal fins, a pelvic formula of I,5, the presence of an enlarged, bony operculum, and an overall more robust and heavier body, particularly in adults (Ref. 93144). Typhleotris pauliani is further distinguished from T. mararybe by the absence of pigment on the body and a longer prepelvic length (34.1-40.4% of standard length vs. 33.0-33.9% of standard length), and from T. madagascariensis by the absence of ctenoid scales on the flank and dorsum, except for a few weak ctenoid scales midflank in some individuals, more or less along the lateral midline (Ref. 93144).
It is restricted to subterranean habitats in coastal regions to the south of Morombe in the vicinity of Andalambezo (Ref. 93144). A cave-dwelling species (Ref. 6802). Feeds on guano and small aquatic insects (Ref. 91201).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Maugé, L.A., 1986. Eleotridae. p. 389-398. In J. Daget, J.-P. Gosse and D.F.E. Thys van den Audenaerde (eds.) Check-list of the freshwater fishes of Africa (CLOFFA). ISNB, Brussels; MARC, Tervuren; and ORSTOM, Paris. Vol. 2. (Ref. 6802)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.6250 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00389 (0.00180 - 0.00842), b=3.12 (2.94 - 3.30), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.3 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
