troglophile

A troglophile is an organism that prefers and frequently occupies cave environments and may complete its life cycle there, but is not restricted to caves and can survive and reproduce in surface habitats as well. The concept is used in speleology and subterranean biology to describe a degree of cave association that is intermediate between obligate cave dwellers and animals that only use caves temporarily.

Troglobionts are the opposite end of the spectrum: species that are obligate cave dwellers, highly specialized for subterranean life, and generally unable to survive outside caves. Trogloxenes, in contrast, use caves but must return to surface environments to meet essential life requirements. Troglophiles share with troglobionts the habit of frequenting caves, but they retain enough flexibility to thrive outside as well.

Adaptations of troglophiles are typically less extreme than those of troglobionts. They may exhibit partial cave-associated traits such as reduced pigmentation or modest eye reduction, yet they usually retain surface-like features. They can inhabit various parts of caves, including entrances, twilight zones, and occasionally deeper passages, depending on the species and available resources.

Ecology and significance: troglophiles play roles as detritivores, predators, or scavengers within cave ecosystems and often rely on cave-derived resources such as guano, drip-water ecosystems, or allochthonous input from the surface. They contribute to nutrient cycling and serve as prey for more specialized cave fauna. The term emphasizes a spectrum of cave dependency rather than a single, uniform lifestyle.

Etymology: the term derives from Greek trogle, meaning hole or cave, and philos, meaning loving or friend.