A historically overlooked but increasingly recognized group of non-model organisms are cave dwellers. To take advantage of the beneficial traits of cave-dwelling animals and gain insights into the genetic basis of human diseases like eye degeneration, metabolic and neurological disorders, and basic evolutionary principles, it is vital to establish a breeding colony in the laboratory. In our work we found out that it was a demanding task. Therfore we decided to share our expreance and publish what we have learned in the process.
Our protocols for housing, feeding, and husbandry of cave dwellers and their surface relatives were developed for a snail Physella sp. and different isopod crustacens, both cave and surface dwelling trichoniscids asellids and sphaeromatids. Hopefully our efforts will facilitate the establishment of new laboratory animal facilities for cave-dwelling organisms and encourage their greater use in experimental biology.
Lukić M, Jovović L, Bedek J, Grgić M, Kuharić N, Rožman T, Čupić I, Weck B, Fong D, Bilandžija H (2024) A practical guide for the husbandry of cave and surface invertebrates as the first step in establishing new model organisms. Rétaux S (Ed.). PLOS ONE 19: e0300962. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0300962