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Cave Biology Data Portal
Subterranean biodiversity of North America and around the globe
AnimaliaChordataVertebrataActinopterygiiSiluriformesIctaluridaePrietella

Mexican Blindcat
Prietella phreatophila Carranza, 1954

Taxonomy

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Vertebrata
Class Actinopterygii
Order Siluriformes
Family Ictaluridae
Genus Prietella
Species Prietella phreatophila Carranza, 1954

Description

Diagnostic characters

Ecological class
Stygobiont
Realm
Aquatic
Troglomorphy
Troglomorphic
Maximum body length
77 mm

Distribution

Type locality

Phreatic wells, Coahuila, Mexico

Range

Known from Texas in the Edwards Plateau and Balcones karst region.

Continent

North America

Country

United States

States and provinces

Texas

Counties

County-level records have not been compiled for this taxon. Distribution is recorded at state and karst-region level.

Karst regions

Edwards Plateau and Balcones

Genetics

Molecular resources

MarkerMoleculeSequences LengthExemplar
mitogenome mitochondrial 2 16534-16534 bp NC_084459.1
genome nuclear 1 GCA_025728095.1
12S mitochondrial 1 2042-2042 bp AY458868.1
COI mitochondrial 1 530-530 bp OQ554429.1
RAG2 nuclear 1 714-714 bp HM991671.1
cytb mitochondrial 1 1226-1226 bp AY458884.1
other unknown 1 372-372 bp OR260037.1

8 sequences, retrieved 23 August 2026. Counts change as sequences are deposited. Search GenBank.

Download all 8 sequence records (CSV) Accession, marker, molecule type, length, GenBank definition and a direct link.

Mitogenome
Available
Nuclear genome
Available

Specimens

Type material

Holotype
8833 · Instituto de Biologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico
Paratype
48047 · California Academy of Sciences
Paratype
P883 · Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biologicas, Instituto Politecnico Nacional
Paratype
UANL-1014 · Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon
Paratype
USNM 164169 · National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
Paratype
223109 · University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
Topotype
173788 · University of Michigan Museum of Zoology

Collections holding material

InstitutionLots
University of Texas Biodiversity Center 72
Texas Natural History Collection, University of Texas at Austin 57
Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon 3
University of Michigan Museum of Zoology 3
Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections, Texas A&M University 2
Instituto de Biologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico 2
and 3 other collections 3

142 cataloged lots in 9 collections. Compiled from GBIF and not an exhaustive census: many collections are not yet digitised, and holdings are added continually. Search GBIF for specimen records.

Download all 142 specimen records (CSV) Institution, catalog number, type status and preparation. No coordinates.

Conservation and management

IUCN Red List

VU Vulnerable B1ab(iii)

EXEWCRENVU▲NTLC

Assessed in 2018.

NatureServe

GNR Unranked

G1G2G3G4G5

Subnational ranks

Texas
S1 Critically Imperiled

State and federal status

Endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act listed 1970

Federal: Endangered

Threats

  • Urbanization - Residential
  • Oil & Gas Drilling
  • Overcollection - Amateur
  • Dams & Water Extraction
  • Pollution - Commercial/Industrial
  • Pollution - Agricultural & Forestry

Other resources

Catalogue of Life
4MC5D
GBIF
2341045
ITIS
201962
iNaturalist
110355
NCBI Taxonomy
255567

How to cite this account

Prietella phreatophila Carranza, 1954. Cave Biology Data Portal, account SP-1360. https://cavebiology.org/species/prietella-phreatophila/ (accessed 3 September 2026).

Data sources and funding are listed in the Acknowledgments.

Spotted something wrong on this page? Report a correction. Accounts are compiled from many sources and corrections from people who know the group are the most useful email we get.

Cave Biology Data Portal

Species accounts, distributions, and conservation status for the subterranean fauna of North America and around the globe, with resources for the cave and karst research community.

Text and data CC BY 4.0. Images all rights reserved unless stated.

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