troglophiles

Troglophiles are organisms that regularly inhabit caves and can complete their life cycle within cave environments, but are not obligate cave dwellers and can also persist and reproduce outside of caves. The term distinguishes them from troglobionts (troglobites), species that are exclusively adapted to cave life and typically cannot survive in surface habitats, and trogloxenes, which use caves but must return to the surface for food or reproduction.

Troglophiles commonly occur in multiple cave zones, including the entrance and twilight zones where there is some light and moisture, as well as deeper, more stable areas where organic matter from the surface accumulates. They may also inhabit surface habitats such as leaf litter, streams, and soil, reflecting a flexible reliance on the cave–surface interface. They tend to lack the highly specialized cave adaptations seen in troglobionts, such as extreme depigmentation or markedly reduced eyesight, though some species exhibit partial adaptations.

Ecologically, troglophiles contribute to cave food webs as consumers and prey and can be important indicators of cave health and connectivity with the external environment. They may be sensitive to disturbances that alter moisture, temperature, or surface ecosystems, such as pollution, cave tourism, and land-use change.

Terminology varies among researchers, and some authors use trogloxene and troglophile for overlapping sets of species. Understanding these classifications helps describe how organisms interact with the subterranean landscape and its interfaces with the surface.