A troglobite (or, formally, troglobiont) is an animal species strongly bound to hypogean habitats (not to be confused with troglodyte). A troglobiotic population or race can only form part of an eutroglophile species. In general, troglobite is referred to troglofauna (the land dwelling underground species), but it may be referred to stygofauna (the aquatic species), although for these animals the term stygobite is to prefer.
Troglobites typically have evolutionary adaptations to cave life. Examples of such adaptations include slow metabolism, reduced energy consumption, better food usage efficiency, decrease or loss of eyesight (anophthalmia), and depigmentation (loss of external pigmentation). Conversely, as opposed to lost or reduced functions, many species have evolved elongated antennal and locomotory appendages, in order to better move around and respond to environmental stimuli. These structures are also full of chemical, tactile and humidity receptors. Troglobites commonly do not survive well outside caves and, therefore, cannot travel between separate cave systems. As a result, many troglobiotic species are endemic to a single cave or system of caves.
Not all cave dwelling species are considered to be troglobite. An animal found out in underground environment may be a troglophile (a species living both in subterranean and in epigean habitats, e.g. bats and cave swallows) or a trogloxene (a species only occurring sporadically in a hypogean habitat and unable to establish a subterranean population).
Flatworms
- Hausera hauseri
Mollusca
- Tumbling Creek cavesnail (Antrobia culveri)
- Cave physa (Physella spelunca)
- Phantom cave snail (Cochliopa texana)
- Mimic cavesnail (Phreatodrobia imitata)
- Zospeum
Velvet worms
- White cave velvet worm (Peripatopsis alba)
Arthropoda
Arachnida
- Kauaʻi cave wolf spider (Adelocosa anops)
- Nelson cave spider (Spelungula cavernicola)
- Calicina cloughensis
- Texella reddelli
- Trogloraptor marchingtoni
- Apochthonius mysterius â€" Mystery Cave pseudoscorpion
- Apochthonius typhlus â€" Stone County cave pseudoscorpion
- Hesperochernes occidentalis â€" guano pseudoscorpion
- Mundochthonius cavernicolus â€" cavernicolous pseudoscorpion
- Phanetta subterranea â€" subterranean cave spider
- Porrhomma cavernicola â€" cavernicolous Porrhomma spider
- Sinopoda scurion â€" eyeless huntsman spider
- Troglokhammouanus steineri â€" Xe Bang Fai cave scorpion
- Vietbocap lao â€" Nam Lot cave scorpion
- Parobisium yosemite â€" Yosemite cave pseudoscorpion
- Titanobochia magna â€" cave pseudoscorpion
- Cicurina venii â€" Braken Bat Cave meshweaver spider
- Chinquipellobunus madlae â€" cave harvestman
- Stalita taenaria
- Mesostalita nocturna
- Chthonius
- Neobisium maritimum
Myriapoda
- Millipedes
- Causeyella species
- Chaetaspis aleyorum â€" Aleys' cave millipede
- Chersoiulus sphinx
- Desmoxytes
- Mammamia profuga
- Polydesmus subterraneus
- Sinocallipus
- Titanophyllum spiliarum
- Trichopetalum whitei
- Tingupa pallida
- Zosteractis interminata
- Centipedes
- Eupolybothrus cavernicolus
Crustacea
- Alabama cave shrimp (Palaemonias alabamae)
- Procambarus delicatus
- Spelaeorchestia koloana
- Procambarus pecki
- Typhlocaris
- Macromaxillocaris
- Samarplax principe
- Cyclops vernalis
- Holoped amazonicum
- Barburia yanezi
- Gammarus acherondytes â€" Illinois cave amphipod
- Cambarus aculabrum â€" Benton County cave crayfish
- Cambarus hubrichti â€" Salem cave crayfish
- Cambarus setosus â€" bristly cave crayfish
- Cambarus zophonastes â€" Hell Creek cave crayfish
- Andhracoides shabuddinâ€" Guthikonda cave isopod
- Andhracoides gebaueriâ€" Belum cave isopod
- Allocrangonyx hubrichti â€" Hubricht's long-tailed amphipod
- Bactrurus brachycaudus â€" short-tailed groundwater amphipod
- Bactrurus hubrichti â€" sword-tail cave amphipod
- Bactrurus pseudomucronatus â€" false sword-tailed cave amphipod
- Caecidotea antricola â€" cave isopod
- Caecidotea dimorpha â€" Missouri cave isopod
- Caecidotea fustis â€" Fustis cave isopod
- Caecidotea salemensis â€" Salem cave isopod
- Caecidotea serrata â€" serrated cave isopod
- Caecidotea stiladactyla â€" slender-fingered cave isopod
- Caecidotea stygia â€" stygian cave isopod
- Diacyclops yeatmani â€" Yeatman's groundwater copepod
- Orconectes stygocaneyi â€" Caney Mountain cave crayfish
- Stygobromus barri â€" Barr's groundwater amphipod
- Stygobromus clantoni â€" Clanton's groundwater amphipod
- Stygobromus heteropodus â€" Pickle Springs amphipod
- Stygobromus onondagaensis â€" Onondaga cave amphipod
- Stygobromus ozarkensis â€" Ozark cave amphipod
- Stygobromus subtilis â€" subtle groundwater amphipod
- Orcovita hickski
- Orcovita orchardorum
- Cancrocaeca
- Androniscus dentiger â€" rosy woodlouse
- Alpioniscus strasseri
- Niphargus species
Insecta
See Cave insects
Fish
- List of cave fish
Amphibians
- Cave salamanders
Mammals
There are no known mammals that live exclusively in caves. Most bats sleep in caves during the day and hunt at night, but they are considered troglophiles or trogloxenes. However some fossorials which spend their whole lives underground might be considered subterranean fauna, although they are not true troglofauna as they do not live in caves.
Reptiles
- Beauty rat snake (Elaphe taeniura)
See also
- Subterranean fauna
- Troglofauna