New Species of 'Demogorgon' Cavefish Poses No Threat to Hawkins, Indiana, or Elsewhere

Scientists studying endangered shrimp in the tunnel systems of an Alabama cave have stumbled upon a stranger thing. They've found a new species of spiny, see-through “demon cavefish.” 

The odd little swimmer and its kin are likely only found in one small section of the cave. This makes it one of the rarest species of fish in the world. Matthew Niemiller is a University of Alabama in Huntsville biologist. He led the team that found and gave the fish its monstrous name. Niemiller was also the one who noticed the creature’s odd features first. 

“Over the years, I’ve seen how (different) cavefish can be, and I’ve been fooled before by animals that looked different but were genetically very similar,” Niemiller told CNN. “But this one was different in ways that kept holding up.”  

The demon cavefish appears as a translucent white ghost. You can see its internal organs through its scales. Spines sprout from its dorsal and ventral sides. Its head lacks eyes. It has a blunted snout. To give the new species a proper scientific name, Niemiller’s team looked to popular science fiction. 

“Here we describe Demogorgonichthys arcanus,” the team wrote in its findings. They were published recently in the journal Scientific Reports. The name loosely translates to “demogorgon fish of secrets.” It pays homage to Netflix’s hit show Stranger Things. In the show, the dreaded demogorgon was a major villain. 

The kids of the pretend town of Hawkins, Indiana, do their best to wipe out demogorgons each time they see one. But Niemiller’s team wants to preserve its rare fish find. Their study calls for increased protections for the cave system and nearby lands. 

Reflect: If you discovered something brand new and got to name it yourself, what would you name it and why?

Photo of demon cavefish from Niemiller, M.L., Armbruster, J.W., Sandel, M.W. et al. Surprising cryptic cavefish diversity in a long-studied karst cave ecosystem of northern Alabama. Sci Rep 16, 20765 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-54315-4