LIFE IN THE DARK Life IN THE DARK Illuminating Biodiversity in the Shadowy Haunts of Planet Earth Danté Fenolio © 2016 Johns Hopkins University Press All rights reserved. Published 2016 Printed in China on acid-free paper 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Johns Hopkins University Press 2715 North Charles Street Baltimore, Maryland 21218-4363 www.press.jhu.edu Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Fenolio, Danté B. (Danté Bruce) Title: Life in the dark : illuminating biodiversity in the shadowy haunts of planet earth / Danté Fenolio. Description: Baltimore : Johns Hopkins University Press, 2016. | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifi ers: LCCN 2015010640| ISBN 9781421418636 (hardcover : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781421418643 (electronic) | ISBN 1421418630 (hardcover : alk. paper) | ISBN 1421418649 (electronic) Subjects: LCSH: Adaptation (Biology) | Habitat (Ecology) | Deep-sea animals. | Cave animals. | Parasites. Classifi cation: LCC QH546 .F46 2016 | DDC 578.4–dc23 LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015010640 A catalog record for this book is available from the British Library. Special discounts are available for bulk purchases of this book. For more information, please contact Special Sales at 410-516-6936 or [email protected]. Johns Hopkins University Press uses environmentally friendly book materials, including recycled text paper that is composed of at least 30 percent postconsumer waste, whenever possible. This book is dedicated to three individuals who have profoundly influenced me, Bart Fenolio, Jerry Balistreri, and Terry Freitas. My father, Bart Fenolio, supported my interests at every turn, providing a foundation for learning and for investigating the natural world. My closest childhood friend’s father, biologist Jerry Balistreri, allowed his son and friends, including myself, to tag along as he taught field courses. These early experiences profoundly shaped my career. My undergraduate friend, biologist Terry Freitas, taught me a deeper appreciation for the struggles that wildlife faces because of human activities. Terry went on to help the U’wa people of Colombia in their struggle against an American oil company that drilled for oil on their land and against their will; he was abducted and murdered by FARC, one of the leftist rebel groups that once controlled much of Colombia, in 1999. Thank you for everything each of you did to enrich my life. Developmental stages of Murray’s Abyssal Seadevil, Melanocetus murrayi.