Fish belong in the water…at least that’s what we were lead to believe. But what about the exceptions? Here are a five extraordinary species of amphibious fish that defy their water-breathing kin.
Rockskipper
Also known as the coral blenny, rockskipper is a species of long fish found in tropical and subtropical harbors and bays, as well as freshwater areas. They are so named for their behavior of skipping between limestone pools to feed on algae. As long as they remain moist, rockskippers can survive for hours outside water, even able to forage and mate while on land.
Woolly Sculpin
Being avid survivors, wooly sculpin are able to withstand drastic temperature changes. Remarkably, these amphibious fish can leave water and survive up to 24 hours on land to look for new homes if oxygen levels get too low in the water.
Eel Catfish
This species of air-breathing catfish (Clariidae) are known to emerge onto land periodically. As long as their skin stays moist, they can survive on land, though have to return to water eventually.
Climbing Perch
From Papua New Guinea, the climbing fish have migrated to Australia and been reported to walk on land using strong spines on their pectoral fins to travel to other waterholes. These fish can live on land for up to six days and hibernate longer in mud while waiting for water to return. They threaten Australia’s ecosystem with their strong appetite for other fish, birds, and even turtles.
Snakehead
These freshwater fish can grow up to four feet long and are found in waters in Florida. The Snakehead fish can travel on land for up to three days, eat any small animal, and reproduce very quickly. This makes them a growing problem as they have been deemed, ‘indestructible’, and even reported to have attacked and killed human beings.
