A small cave located in the left slope of the Danube Gorge, about 12 km downstream of the city of Moldova Nouă.

The cave galleries are developed in the Barremian–Aptian reef limestones from the southern extremity of the Reşiţa–Moldova Nouă syncline. Access is easy, with the entrance of the cave being located very close to the national road that follows the left bank of Danube (National Road 57 Orşova–Moldova Nouă). Including the divergent galleries, the cave is only 254 m in length. An underground river flows through the main gallery (the Wet Gallery), but in the central part of the cave, a divergent passage leads to a dry suspended gallery followed by a room. Both the gallery and the room host an important colony of bats, being for this reason known as the Bat Gallery and the Bat Room.

Select Mineral List Type

Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Mineral List

ⓘ Ardealite

ⓘ Calcite

ⓘ Crandallite

ⓘ Hydroxylapatite

ⓘ var. Carbonate-rich Hydroxylapatite

8 valid minerals.

Rock Types Recorded

Note: data is currently VERY limited. Please bear with us while we work towards adding this information!

Select Rock List Type

Alphabetical List Tree Diagram

ⓘ Guano

ⓘ Limestone

Detailed Mineral List:

ⓘ Ardealite

Formula: Ca₂(PO₃OH)(SO₄) · 4H₂O

References:

Onac, B.P., Zaharia, L., Kearns, J. & Veres, D. (2007): Vashegyite from Gaura cu Musca Cave (Locvei Mountains, Romania): a new and rare phosphate occurrence. International J. of Speleology, 35, 67-73.

Dumitraş, Delia-Georgeta; Marincea, Ştefan (2025) Leucophosphite and Associated Minerals in the Fossil Bat Guano Deposit in Gaura cu Muscă Cave, Locvei Mountains, Romania. Minerals, 15 (2). 180 doi:10.3390/min15020180

ⓘ Calcite

Formula: CaCO₃

References:

ⓘ Crandallite

Formula: CaAl₃(PO₄)(PO₃OH)(OH)₆

References:

ⓘ Hydroxylapatite

Formula: Ca₅(PO₄)₃(OH)

References:

ⓘ Hydroxylapatite var. Carbonate-rich Hydroxylapatite

Formula: Ca₅(PO₄,CO₃)₃(OH,O)

References:

ⓘ 'Illite-2M'

Formula: K_0.65Al_2.0[Al_0.65Si_3.35O₁₀](OH)₂

References:

ⓘ Leucophosphite

Formula: KFe³⁺₂(PO₄)₂(OH) · 2H₂O

References:

ⓘ Quartz

Formula: SiO₂

References:

ⓘ Taranakite

Formula: K₃Al₅(PO₃OH)₆(PO₄)₂ · 18H₂O

References:

ⓘ Vashegyite

Formula: Al₁₁(PO₄)₉(OH)₆ · 38H₂O

References:

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides
ⓘ	Quartz	4.DA.05	SiO₂
Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates
ⓘ	Calcite	5.AB.05	CaCO₃
Group 8 - Phosphates, Arsenates and Vanadates
ⓘ	Crandallite	8.BL.10	CaAl₃(PO₄)(PO₃OH)(OH)₆
ⓘ	Hydroxylapatite var. Carbonate-rich Hydroxylapatite	8.BN.05	Ca₅(PO₄,CO₃)₃(OH,O)
ⓘ		8.BN.05	Ca₅(PO₄)₃(OH)
ⓘ	Taranakite	8.CH.25	K₃Al₅(PO₃OH)₆(PO₄)₂ · 18H₂O
ⓘ	Ardealite	8.CJ.50	Ca₂(PO₃OH)(SO₄) · 4H₂O
ⓘ	Vashegyite	8.DB.10	Al₁₁(PO₄)₉(OH)₆ · 38H₂O
ⓘ	Leucophosphite	8.DH.10	KFe³⁺₂(PO₄)₂(OH) · 2H₂O
Unclassified
ⓘ	'Illite-2M'	-	K_0.65Al_2.0[Al_0.65Si_3.35O₁₀](OH)₂

List of minerals for each chemical element

H	Hydrogen
H	ⓘ Ardealite	Ca₂(PO₃OH)(SO₄) · 4H₂O
H	ⓘ Hydroxylapatite var. Carbonate-rich Hydroxylapatite	Ca₅(PO₄,CO₃)₃(OH,O)
H	ⓘ Crandallite	CaAl₃(PO₄)(PO₃OH)(OH)₆
H	ⓘ Hydroxylapatite	Ca₅(PO₄)₃(OH)
H	ⓘ Leucophosphite	KFe₂³⁺(PO₄)₂(OH) · 2H₂O
H	ⓘ Taranakite	K₃Al₅(PO₃OH)₆(PO₄)₂ · 18H₂O
H	ⓘ Vashegyite	Al₁₁(PO₄)₉(OH)₆ · 38H₂O
H	ⓘ Illite-2M	K_0.65Al_2.0[Al_0.65Si_3.35O₁₀](OH)₂
C	Carbon
C	ⓘ Calcite	CaCO₃
C	ⓘ Hydroxylapatite var. Carbonate-rich Hydroxylapatite	Ca₅(PO₄,CO₃)₃(OH,O)
O	Oxygen
O	ⓘ Ardealite	Ca₂(PO₃OH)(SO₄) · 4H₂O
O	ⓘ Calcite	CaCO₃
O	ⓘ Hydroxylapatite var. Carbonate-rich Hydroxylapatite	Ca₅(PO₄,CO₃)₃(OH,O)
O	ⓘ Crandallite	CaAl₃(PO₄)(PO₃OH)(OH)₆
O	ⓘ Hydroxylapatite	Ca₅(PO₄)₃(OH)
O	ⓘ Leucophosphite	KFe₂³⁺(PO₄)₂(OH) · 2H₂O
O	ⓘ Quartz	SiO₂
O	ⓘ Taranakite	K₃Al₅(PO₃OH)₆(PO₄)₂ · 18H₂O
O	ⓘ Vashegyite	Al₁₁(PO₄)₉(OH)₆ · 38H₂O
O	ⓘ Illite-2M	K_0.65Al_2.0[Al_0.65Si_3.35O₁₀](OH)₂
Al	Aluminium
Al	ⓘ Crandallite	CaAl₃(PO₄)(PO₃OH)(OH)₆
Al	ⓘ Taranakite	K₃Al₅(PO₃OH)₆(PO₄)₂ · 18H₂O
Al	ⓘ Vashegyite	Al₁₁(PO₄)₉(OH)₆ · 38H₂O
Al	ⓘ Illite-2M	K_0.65Al_2.0[Al_0.65Si_3.35O₁₀](OH)₂
Si	Silicon
Si	ⓘ Quartz	SiO₂
Si	ⓘ Illite-2M	K_0.65Al_2.0[Al_0.65Si_3.35O₁₀](OH)₂
P	Phosphorus
P	ⓘ Ardealite	Ca₂(PO₃OH)(SO₄) · 4H₂O
P	ⓘ Hydroxylapatite var. Carbonate-rich Hydroxylapatite	Ca₅(PO₄,CO₃)₃(OH,O)
P	ⓘ Crandallite	CaAl₃(PO₄)(PO₃OH)(OH)₆
P	ⓘ Hydroxylapatite	Ca₅(PO₄)₃(OH)
P	ⓘ Leucophosphite	KFe₂³⁺(PO₄)₂(OH) · 2H₂O
P	ⓘ Taranakite	K₃Al₅(PO₃OH)₆(PO₄)₂ · 18H₂O
P	ⓘ Vashegyite	Al₁₁(PO₄)₉(OH)₆ · 38H₂O
S	Sulfur
S	ⓘ Ardealite	Ca₂(PO₃OH)(SO₄) · 4H₂O
K	Potassium
K	ⓘ Leucophosphite	KFe₂³⁺(PO₄)₂(OH) · 2H₂O
K	ⓘ Taranakite	K₃Al₅(PO₃OH)₆(PO₄)₂ · 18H₂O
K	ⓘ Illite-2M	K_0.65Al_2.0[Al_0.65Si_3.35O₁₀](OH)₂
Ca	Calcium
Ca	ⓘ Ardealite	Ca₂(PO₃OH)(SO₄) · 4H₂O
Ca	ⓘ Calcite	CaCO₃
Ca	ⓘ Hydroxylapatite var. Carbonate-rich Hydroxylapatite	Ca₅(PO₄,CO₃)₃(OH,O)
Ca	ⓘ Crandallite	CaAl₃(PO₄)(PO₃OH)(OH)₆
Ca	ⓘ Hydroxylapatite	Ca₅(PO₄)₃(OH)
Fe	Iron
Fe	ⓘ Leucophosphite	KFe₂³⁺(PO₄)₂(OH) · 2H₂O

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

Eurasian PlateTectonic Plate

Carpathian MountainsVolcanic Arc
- Banatitic Magmatic and Metallogenetic BeltMineral Belt

EuropeContinent

⭔BanatRegion
Carpathian MountainsMountain Range

Romania

Caraş-Severin County
- Banat MountainsMountain Range

This page contains all mineral locality references listed on mindat.org. This does not claim to be a complete list. If you know of more minerals from this site, please register so you can add to our database. This locality information is for reference purposes only. You should never attempt to visit any sites listed in mindat.org without first ensuring that you have the permission of the land and/or mineral rights holders for access and that you are aware of all safety precautions necessary.

References

[see also http://bioge.ubbcluj.ro/studia/pdf/2004/Onac%20nota.pdf]

Onac, B.P., Zaharia, L., Kearns, J. & Veres, D. (2007): Vashegyite from Gaura cu Musca Cave (Locvei Mountains, Romania): a new and rare phosphate occurrence. International Journal of Speleology, 35, 67-73.

[1]Dumitraş, Delia-Georgeta; Marincea, Ştefan (2025) Leucophosphite and Associated Minerals in the Fossil Bat Guano Deposit in Gaura cu Muscă Cave, Locvei Mountains, Romania. Minerals, 15 (2). 180 doi:10.3390/min15020180

Quick NavTop Mineral List Rock Types Other Regions References

Mindat.org® is an outreach project of the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Mindat® and mindat.org® are registered trademarks of the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy.
Copyright © mindat.org and the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy 1993-2026, except where stated. Most political location boundaries are © OpenStreetMap contributors. Mindat.org relies on the contributions of thousands of members and supporters. Founded in 2000 by Jolyon Ralph and Ida Chau.
Content on this site may not be used to train, fine-tune, or otherwise develop artificial intelligence or machine learning models without prior written permission - see our Terms & Conditions.
To cite: Ralph, J., Von Bargen, D., Martynov, P., Zhang, J., Que, X., Prabhu, A., Morrison, S. M., Li, W., Chen, W., & Ma, X. (2025). Mindat.org: The open access mineralogy database to accelerate data-intensive geoscience research. American Mineralogist, 110(6), 833–844. doi:10.2138/am-2024-9486.
Privacy Policy - Terms & Conditions - Contact Us / DMCA issues - Report a bug/vulnerability Current server date and time: September 8, 2026 00:46:17 Page updated: August 10, 2025 13:26:14

Go to top of page