About the Central American Spring Fed Lakes Exhibit

This exhibit displays two animals that do not utilize sight as a primary sense. The first is the Blind Cave Tetra, which is one of two different forms of Mexican Tetra and the only form without eyes. Mexican Tetra inhabit Eastern and Central Mexico, as well as southern Texas and New Mexico in rocky bottom streams and springs. Mexican tetra evolved to inhabit caves, which has resulted in a loss of coloration and, most significantly, the loss of functioning eyes. Around 30 different distinct populations of tetra have been found in fresh water filled caves in Mexico.

Another notable species in this exhibit is the axolotl. Axolotls have small eyes as they prefer deeper water with low light conditions and are inactive during the day, instead doing most of their hunting and foraging at dawn, dusk or in the night. Axolotls are historically native to two lakes in Mexico, Lake Xochimilco and Lake Chalco. These lakes were underwater paradises for their aquatic inhabitants. They were used by pre-Colombian civilizations for agriculture and trade, and the waters of Lake Xochimilco were pushed into hundreds of miles of canals throughout Mexico City. However, in recent history Lake Chalco has been almost entirely drained for drinking water, as has much of Lake Xochimilco. The canals are now used extensively for tourism which has made a further impact on the species that live there. This unique species may soon be entirely extinct from the wild, which makes it all the more important for us to learn about them through living displays and help spread awareness about the destruction of freshwater ecosystems.