I saw this today. It ain't no joke!
Fish that live in trees
by serotonin_wraith 4 Replies latest jw friends
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Anti-Christ
Now that's Fing cool!!!
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Dansk
Interesting article! Thanks for posting.
Ian
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AWAKE&WATCHING
That was really cool, thanks!
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Leolaia
*** g76 11/22 p. 26 A Fish That Can Live out of Water ***
A Fish That Can Live out of Water
"A FISH out of water." That expression clearly conveys the idea of helplessness. Most people do not expect a fish to survive very long outside its watery home. But what would you think of one that can breathe for days out of water? And what if someone said that it could walk overland and even climb a tree? Would you believe all of that?
Well, back in the year 1797, a certain Lieutenant Daldorf, who was with the Danish East India Company, introduced such a fish to the world in general. While at Tranquebar, India, he wrote about a fish said to climb palm trees and dine on their succulent juices. In fact, he reported finding such a creature up in a palm's bark.
Getting Acquainted
Scientifically, that fabled fish is called Anabas testudineus. But it is much better known as the climbing perch. For these fish, life begins when the female lays eggs on the water’s surface. There they float for about a day before hatching. Eventually, the young grow into adults somewhat over nine inches (22.8 centimeters) in length.
Basically gray-green in color and having brown fins, the climbing perch is a freshwater fish. Some species are found in Africa, others in southern Asia. Their food? Mainly insects, snails and shrimps. There is nothing spectacular about the external appearance of the climbing perch. But an internal checkup is quite revealing.
How Can It Breathe out of Water?
Most fish breathe by absorbing into their bloodstreams the gases present in the waters they inhabit. However, above the normal gill chambers, the climbing perch has a special compartment that enables it to breathe even out of water. This unusual upper portion of the gill cavity contains bony plates covered with a membrane having a network of blood vessels. Air gulped by the fish passes into this section through a valved opening. Once spent, it is expelled through the gills.
Though the climbing perch also has regular gills, these are small. So, to obtain sufficient oxygen and survive even in water, the fish must come to the surface to swallow air from time to time. In fact, if it were held under the water, this fish would drown.
For the fish seller, the climbing perch is a delight. People find it a desirable food, and he has no trouble keeping a fresh supply on hand. Why, the climbing perch easily lives a day or two in a moist container! But there had better be a lid on it. Otherwise, the merchandise is liable to climb right out and ‘walk’ off!
How Does It ‘Walk’?
The climbing perch may leave a pond that is drying up and travel overland, apparently in search of another watery home. En route, it may dine on earthworms. This fish is no speedster on land. But it is not a failure either. The climbing perch has journeyed a hundred yards (91 meters) in about a half hour. Yet, how does it ‘walk’? This unusual fish has gill covers with spines that project backward. These gill covers—one on each side of the head—are extended and alternately dug into the earth. This enables the fish to remain upright while moving forward, flopping first to one side, then to the other. With its tail pushing forcefully, the climbing perch is sure to make headway. This mode of travel may be a little awkward, but it certainly is effective.
Do They Really Climb Trees?
There is little doubt that these extraordinary fish can make their way up a tree trunk that is leaning over somewhat. Reportedly, however, the climbing perch has ascended upright trees for some five to seven feet (1.5 to 2.1 meters). Can these fish really climb that high?
Back in 1927, India’s fish expert Dr. B. K. Das found that at least some climbing perches received a little help to get into trees. As the fish were traveling overland, kites and crows swooped down and caught some of them. These birds deposited the fish in various places, putting a number of them high up in the trees.
Nevertheless, this surprising fish is said to make its way up mangrove trees, searching for tasty insects. Moreover, the Malayans call it undi-colli, that is, "the fish that climbs palmyra trees." Some say that it climbs coconut palms to sip the milk. "A climbing perch has been found 7 feet [2.1 meters] up a palm-tree," reported Frank W. Lane, "and an official of the Madras Fisheries once trained some of these fish to ascend a nearly vertical sheet of cloth dipped into the water of the aquarium in which they lived."
Today some prefer to call this fish the walking perch. But the name climbing perch remains popular. Though its tree-trunk wanderings may be somewhat rare, this aquatic creature still has some claim to fame as a fish that can live out of water.