Oman garra facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Oman garra |
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The Garra barreimiae, also known as the Oman garra, is a special type of fish found in the mountains of northern Oman and the United Arab Emirates. It belongs to the carp family.
Most Oman garras live in places like wadis (dry riverbeds that sometimes have water), streams, pools, and springs. But there's a very unique group of these fish that lives deep inside a cave system. These cave fish are called the Omani blind cave fish. They have lost their eyesight and their color because they live in total darkness.
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Discovering the Oman Garra
Scientists give names to all living things. This helps us understand them better. The Oman garra was first officially described in 1956. Two scientists, Henry Weed Fowler from America and Heinz Steinitz from Israel, gave it the name Garra barreimiae.
Scientists have found a few different types, or 'subspecies', of the Oman garra. These different types usually live in separate river systems. Interestingly, the blind cave form of the fish is very similar to the sighted form when scientists look at their genes.
What Does the Oman Garra Look Like?
The Oman garra is a small, thin fish. It's a bit flat on its underside. It usually grows to be about 7 to 8 centimeters (around 3 inches) long.
Its head is shaped like a wedge. It has a special suction plate on its lower jaw and a blunt snout. This helps it stick to rocks. The fish is usually a dark color with speckles. It also has a lighter band just behind its head.
The blind cave form of this fish is different. It doesn't have much color and has fewer scales. It also doesn't have eyes that you can see from the outside. When these blind cave fish are very young, they can see a little. But as they get older, skin grows over their eyes, and they become completely blind.
Where the Oman Garra Lives
This fish only lives in a specific area: the mountainous parts of the eastern United Arab Emirates and northern Oman. It's often the most common fish you'll find in these areas. You can find it on both the western and eastern sides of the mountains in Oman.
The Oman garra usually lives in wadis, in pools with gravel or rocks, in springs, and in small streams where the water moves slowly. The blind cave form is only found in the Hoti cave systems. These caves are in the Al Hamra area of the Jebel Akhdar Mountains in Oman.
How the Oman Garra Lives
The Oman garra is a social fish. It likes to live in groups, called shoals. If it feels in danger, it can dart away very quickly. This fish is also very tough and can adapt to different conditions.
If the water in its home starts to dry up, the Oman garra can survive by burying itself in wet gravel. It can even move between pools by skittering across wet rocks. It can also climb up steep wet rocks and next to waterfalls! This fish can live in slightly salty water and can handle many different water temperatures.
What the Oman Garra Eats
The Oman garra feeds at the bottom of the water, much like a catfish. It eats algae, which it scrapes off rocks, and also eats detritus (tiny bits of dead plants and animals). Scientists have looked inside the stomachs of these fish. They found that the fish eat single-celled algae, stringy algae, and tiny creatures like rotifers, nematodes, and small crustaceans.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Oman garras lay their eggs when there is enough water, often after a big rainstorm. The tiny eggs are laid among the gravel at the bottom of the water.
