| Caecocypris | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cypriniformes |
| Family: | Cyprinidae |
| Subfamily: | Barbinae |
| Genus: | Caecocypris Banister & Bunni, 1980 [2] |
| Species: | C. basimi |
| Binomial name | |
| Caecocypris basimi Banister & Bunni, 1980 | |
Caecocypris basimi, the Haditha cavefish, is a species of cyprinid fish endemic to Iraq, only occurring in aquifers near Haditha. It is found in an underground sinkhole directly under a shrine the only way to access which is a well 5m below the shrine. [3] This cavefish is the only member of its genus. The species is classed as Critically endangered, possibly extinct, by the IUCN, as there have been no records since 1983 despite a comprehensive survey in 2012. [1] The primary threat is water extraction, which has lowered the groundwater level. [1] It is placed as one of the top 10 lost freshwater fishes to be found. [4]
The cavefish Garra widdowsoni is found in the same place and it has also drastically declined, but it is not as rare as Caecocypris basimi. [1] [5] The only other known cavefish in Iraq is Eidinemacheilus proudlovei. [6]
The holotype of Caecocypris basimi, collected by Dr. Basim M Al Azzawi in 1977, is deposited at the British Museum of Natural History and other specimens are at the Australian Museum. [7]
