I bring this up because the Neosho fish hatchery and visitor’s center is also at the center of the study and propagation of Ozark cavefish. In addition to the ichthyologists’ subjects, there is a native population which (in the old visitor’s center at least) was visible under red light and which came from their water supply.

I’m not dissing the trout fishing industry– far from it. I’d rather see trout fishing tourism than mammal or bird based confined animal feeding operations. But there is a reason my Powerpoint on Missouri karst is called, “Springs are More than Puddles for Trout.” A bigger travesty, btw, are show caves which stock trout underground. If the fish survive and don’t fall victim to injury and infection from swimming around in almost total darkness despite no adaptation for it — they will depigment in time…which only encourages more people to do this, and treat them like some subterranean koi.