全長20 - 30センチメートル[3]。全長30センチメートル以上に達することはまれだが、亜種P. a. parkeljとされた個体は全長40センチメートル以上に達することもある[4]。胴体は円筒形で、尾は側扁する[3]。体は薄い皮膚に覆われ、わずかなリボフラビン色素[9]によって黄白色からピンク色に着色する[6]。体側面に入る皺(肋条)は、左右に25-27本ずつ[3]。体色は通常は白いが、灰色や黄色・ピンクがかる個体もいる[3]。明所で飼育された個体は色素ができるため、体色が青灰色になる[3]。色素沈着した個体は、後述のように亜種P. a. parkeljとして記載されたこともある[4]。
光の下では腹部の内臓器官が透けて見える。体色が白人の皮膚に似ていることから、いくつかの言語では「人の魚」を意味する名で呼ばれる。幼生も着色していることがある。頭部は洋梨形で、短く縦扁した吻を持つ。口の開口部は小さく、歯は微小で篩状となり、水中の大きな粒子を濾し取る。鼻孔は判別できないほど小さく、吻端の側方に位置する。眼は退縮しており、皮膚の層に覆われる。呼吸は頭部後方にある、2つの分岐した房からなる外鰓で行われる[6]。外鰓は酸素に富む血液が皮膚越しに見えるため、赤色である。簡易な肺も持つが、その呼吸機能は補助的なものに過ぎない。
^ abcJan Willem Arntzen, Mathieu Denoël, Claude Miaud, Franco Andreone, Milan Vogrin, Paul Edgar, Jelka Crnobrnja Isailovic, Rastko Ajtic, Claudia Corti 2009. Proteus anguinus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2009: e.T18377A8173419. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2009.RLTS.T18377A8173419.en. Downloaded on 22 February 2020.
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^Piper, Ross (2007), Extraordinary Animals: An Encyclopedia of Curious and Unusual Animals, Greenwood Press.
^Istenic L. & Ziegler I. (1974). “Riboflavin as "pigment" in the skin of Proteus anguinus L.”. Naturwissenschaften (12): 686–687.
^ abSchlegel P.A., Briegleb W., Bulog B., Steinfartz S. (2006). Revue et nouvelles données sur la sensitivité a la lumiere et orientation non-visuelle chez Proteus anguinus, Calotriton asper et Desmognathus ochrophaeus (Amphibiens urodeles hypogés). Bulletin de la Société herpétologique de France, 118, pp. 1–31. (フランス語)
^ abSchegel P. & Bulog B. (1997). Population-specific behavioral electrosensitivity of the European blind cave salamander, Proteus anguinus. Journal of Physiology (Paris) 91: 75–79
^Durand J.P. (1973). Développement et involution oculaire de Proteus anguinus Laurenti, Urodele cavernicole. Ann. Spéléol. 28, 193–208 (フランス語)
^ abLangecker T.G. (2000). The effects of continuous darkness on cave ecology and caverniculous evolution. In: Culver D.C. et al. (eds.): Ecosystems of the world: Subterranean Ecosystems, pp. 135–157. Amsterdam: Elsevier
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