I have been working in different segments of speleobiology (and zoology). In taxonomy of Porifera (Spongillidae), Hirudinea, Amphipoda, Isopoda (aquatic), Decapoda (Atyidae), and some others. In ecology of anchihaline waters, interstitial waters, allochthonous cave streams. Interested also in origins and evolution of subterranean fauna, biogeography and diversity of subterranean fauna in Dinaric area (SE Europe), in faunistic research outside Europe, conservation of subterranean habitats. I am also teaching the undergraduate course of speleobiology (in previous years also Invertebrate Zoology and Evolution) for biology students and heading a research group for zoology and speleobiology.

Can we agree in an ecological classification of subterranean animals?
A basic ecological classification of subterranean animals is restrained (1) by the distinctness degree of the relevant characteristics and (2) by the state of our knowledge of the species' or population's biology. After an analysis of many existing classification attempts, an assortment of the mostly used categories and terms has been proposed as the most appropriate. Four categories can be reliably recognized. (1) Species or populations bound normally to a hypogean habitat; suggested term is troglobiont (synonyms or approximate synonyms: troglobite, eutroglobiont, including obligate troglophile). (2) Essentially epigean species able to build a lasting subterranean population; this is an eutroglophile (also called: phyletic troglophile, troglophile, facultative troglophile, tychocaval, hemitroglobiont, including phyletic trogloxene). (3) Species perpetually or temporarily inclined to inhabit a subterranean habitat but bound to surface at least for one life activity, either daily, seasonally, or during the life history; this is a subtroglophile (or pseudotroglobiont, aphyletic troglophile, regular trogloxene,? subtrogloxene; trogloxene -by Barr). (4) Species occurring only sporadically in a hypogean habitat is a trogloxene (also: accidental, occasional trogloxene, eutrogloxene, occasional cavernicole, tychotroglobiont, xenocaval, and occasional guest). A subterranean population of a troglophile species may become troglomorphic and troglobiotic races (and subspecies). One has to notice that the bounds between any (troglobiotic) species and the underground environment depend on the interplay of its own physiological characteristics and all ecological characteristics of the surface, including the biotic ones. It may therefore depend on the presence of competitors outside; it is not biologically correct to exclude the biotic and biogene component from the environmental characteristics. A troglobiont is not necessarily unable to bear the physical conditions of the surface, ecologically equally important is the avoidance of competitors or predators. It has been shown that the relation between the (obligate) troglobiosis and the formal troglomorphy is extremely diverse, far from being straight. The term and category of the troglomorph, troglomorphy (troglomorphism) is therefore very useful additional information, but not suitable to replace the "troglobiont" in the ecological classification of subterranean biota. This contribution is a synthesis of literature and some unpublished data.