You Have to See It to Believe It... This Fish Can Walk Across the Desert

You don’t expect to see people fishing in the desert but there is one fish that can move across sand. Meet the armored catfish! This extraordinary footage was captured at Lençóis Maranhenses National Park on Brazil’s North Atlantic coast.

In it, you see the fish ‘walking’ across the sand using its fins and dragging its tail behind it. It’s no wonder that it is sometimes called the desert fish.

Watch the Extraordinary Clip Now

Which Fish Normally Live in Brazil?

Brazil has a long coastline and huge rivers including the Rio Negro and the Amazon River. More than 3,000 species of fish live in the Amazon River Basin alone and new species are still being discovered. A new species of catfish was discovered there in 2023. Fishing is a popular hobby there but fish also provides a valuable source of protein for the population. It is estimated that fishing provides jobs for 200,000 people in the country.

Some of the well-known fish in Brazil include the peacock bass. The largest of these can grow to over three feet in length. Also, the piraiba – a type of catfish that reaches nine feet!

How Do Fish Normally Breathe?

Fish need oxygen to survive and most fish need to get it just from water. They do this using organs called gills which are equivalent to our lungs. Whilst our lungs can extract oxygen from air, fish gills can extract it from water. They are feather-like, branching organs located on each side of the fish’s head. Gills have small blood vessels called capillaries ready to absorb the oxygen from the water. Fish take in water through their mouth and expel it past their gills. Breathing water is hard work because it only has a concentration of 4 to 8 parts per million of oxygen. In comparison, air has a concentration of 200,000 parts per million. A lot of water has to pass the gills for fish to stay alive.

Can Some Fish Breathe Air?

Yes, some fish can breathe air but it is usually only for short periods. For example, the air-breathing catfish has both gills for breathing water and hollow cavities above the gills that can be used for breathing air. These only open when the fish is out of water. The fish opens their mouth and takes a big gulp of air which opens up the air-breathing passages. However, these fish can only survive if their skin stays moist so it is important that they get back into water as soon as possible!

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Anderson Spinelli/iStock via Getty Images