Rhizosomichthys totae is a small blind fish from the Trichomycteridae family. It lives only at the bottom of the high-mountain Lake Tota in Colombia and uses long barbels to search for food in the dark.
Rhizosomichthys totae differs from other catfishes by the complete absence of eyes and living only in one lake. The species is important for science as an example of adaptation to darkness and an indicator of water purity in Lake Tota.
Locomotion through water employed while searching for or capturing prey.
Legendary longevity: over 100 years. Galapagos tortoises, Greenland sharks, ocean quahogs celebrate with family once every 4 years
Immature form that undergoes metamorphosis before adulthood.
Offspring
Worker
Elders
Bro
birth time
bottom
Taxons
carnivore
if born as {name}
Dogs, dolphins, lynx hang out for 9-25 years and party on their birthday three times a year
m
Map
will celebrate their {n} birthday
g
age
summer mild, +15…+20 °C
t
When your next jubilee falls in {name} life years
Yolk sac count
Human
birth date
swimming
no permanent shelter
Close
was
days
Barbels count
South and Central America, hot and humid, huge forests
Career from 7 to 15 months. Dwarf hamsters, voles, field crickets celebrate their birthday twice a month
worms
The basics
How old you would be if you lived as {name}
benthic
Neotropical realm
Theoretical maximum lifespan estimated from the Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) mathematical model. This value reflects a biological potential derived from metabolic parameters, not from direct observation — real recorded lifespans are often significantly shorter.
My weight?
Non-stop carnival: they only live a few days. Mayflies, rotifers, midges celebrate their birthday more than twice a day
Captures food by straining water or substrate through specialized structures.
adult
Maturity
primary food sources
Neotropical realm
South and Central America, hot and humid, huge forests
24 to 38 grams, 10 – 25 centimeters
Fins count
Potential Habitat
About health
suction
When your next birthday would fall if you lived as {name}
Barbels color
d
In husbandry
On the go from 1.3 to 3.5 years. Forest mice, anoles, rainbow fish party on their birthday once a month
Feeding occurs in water bodies such as rivers, lakes, or oceans.
Repro interval
results
Mass
Mosquitoes, fruit flies, small crustaceans hustle for up to 7 months and throw a birthday party every week
Eyes count
aquatic
Colors
Cool summer
Sex
{name} birthday
Upcoming jubilees
live annelid worms
Gremllins
mo
No results found
Trophic type
Filters
Yolk sac size
On the map
small crustaceans
all life stages
Female ♀
Upcoming birthdays
Map data sources: Ecosystem classification — IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (Keith et al., 2022), indicative distribution maps Keith et al. (2020), https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3546513; Large Marine Ecosystems — NOAA LME Program; Bathymetry — GEBCO Bathymetric Compilation Group (2026), GEBCO_2026 Grid, https://doi.org/10.5285/4f68d5c7-45eb-f999-e063-7086abc036fa; Climate data — Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information; Species occurrence data — GBIF.org, Derived dataset "all animals", https://zveriki.com/dataset/dataset.tsv; Terrestrial ecoregions — RESOLVE Ecoregions 2017 (Dinerstein et al., 2017), CC BY 4.0
Potential habitat modelled from GBIF occurrence data. Map © Zveriki.com, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Truly long lives: 40-100 years. Bowhead whales, albatrosses, giant tortoises recall their birthday at most once a year
Lifespan
high in the mountains, cold, lots of grass and shrubs
birth year
Maturity
Age (juvenile)
Fins size
insect larvae and caterpillars
Age (from birth to death)
sq mm
yr
Foraging occurs on the floor of aquatic or terrestrial habitats.
Age (embryo)
Wanderers
Age (larva)
How similar?
Jubilee = every 10th birthday
Male ♂
until the celebration
age as {name}
How do they breed?
Draws prey or water into the mouth by creating negative pressure.
On the go from 3.5 to 6 years. Hedgehogs, crows, lizards treat themselves to birthday snacks 6 times a year
What if eaten?
Neither
Earliest developmental stage inside an egg or womb.
Business sausages
from birth to adulthood
Lifespan average
What do they eat?
insect larvae
Where do they live?
young after fast growth
Immature individual that has not yet reached reproductive maturity.
from birth to death
Regeneration
Juvenile stage following larval metamorphosis but not yet adult.
Montane grasslands
early young
What do they look like?
Maturity
emergence (insects)
end of lifespan
Freshwater
How do they live?
fertilization / egg laying
How do they behave?
birth / hatching
metamorphosis / end of larval stage
end of acceleration
Share
Duration
Find a pet...
Mature, fully developed individual capable of reproduction.
filter feeding
Freshwater
This is me
freshwater
Gamers
Pets
How are they built?
all rivers and lakes
mm
Theoretical lifespan
ml
Stars
Link copied
My age?
wk
My size?
{name} jubilee
Asexual
swap
freshwater environment — rivers, lakes, ponds, swamps
cm
Old-timers
Find an animal or breed...
turns
Rabbits, falcons, red-eared turtles hang out for 6-9 years and party on their birthday four times a year
Rascals
Where do they take shelter?
celebrated their {n} birthday
When you would have been born if you lived as {name}
Litter size
Daddies
small crabs, amphipods and other crustaceans
Lifespan maximum
Map data sources: Ecosystem classification — IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (Keith et al., 2022), indicative distribution maps Keith et al. (2020), https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3546513; Large Marine Ecosystems — NOAA LME Program; Bathymetry — GEBCO Bathymetric Compilation Group (2026), GEBCO_2026 Grid, https://doi.org/10.5285/4f68d5c7-45eb-f999-e063-7086abc036fa; Climate data — Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information; Species occurrence data — GBIF.org, Derived dataset "all animals", https://zveriki.com/dataset/dataset.tsv; Terrestrial ecoregions — RESOLVE Ecoregions 2017 (Dinerstein et al., 2017), CC BY 4.0
How to care for them?
Barbels size
Living from 25 to 40 years. Orangutans, bald eagles, African elephants celebrate their birthday twice a year
foraging
body
°C
Not specified
Hermaphrodite ⚥
Actively searching habitats to locate food items.
Tomato
Where are they found?
Species lacks any fixed or lasting shelter structure.
embryo
all rivers and lakes
Length
kg
Observations
◉{N} more on tap