I discovered … a cavefish that we named ‘big sickness’ – for good reason

Unexplored caves can be scary, home to crocodiles, huge eels or tarantulas, but we can also find incredible new life in there

There is no darkness like being in a cave. I love turning off my headlamp to experience that. It probably sounds horrifying and disconcerting, but caves also have a peaceful quality to them - at least for me. It's like Earth giving me a little hug. I'm weirdly calm when I'm in a cave.

As a professor and curator of fishes at Louisiana State University, I explore hidden corners of the world and find new species, which means going to places few people have been before.