Hurricane Debby washed a walking catfish to someone's Florida driveway, and the video of the critter is a sight to see.
Upon its impact on South Florida, tropical storm Debby was still identified as a hurricane. In the time that has since passed, it has been downgraded to only a tropical storm. Regardless of the categorization of the storm, plenty of water has been involved for the better part of a week now.
In Gulfport, in South Florida, a unique fish was seen seemingly walking on the driveway. The phenomenon prompted a family to film, and the video has sparked plenty of discourse online. According to USA Today, the infamous video was taken by Louis Bardach. Bardach said in the video that the "very weird catfish" had been drug to the driveway in the storm.
As the video continued, the dark, whiskered fish could be seen sitting still on the blacktop. As Bardach reached down to touch the fish, it began to slither, much like a snake. Bardach exclaimed that the fish was "walking away," but this was not exactly true. The critter was using its fins, quite effectively, to cross the driveway to a deeper puddle. Eventually, once in the deeper water, the fish swam off.
Strange Fish "Walks" Across Florida Driveway During Tropical Storm
The fish has been identified as a "walking catfish," which is an actual species. Walking catfish are often found in Southeast Asia, but also in Florida. The species are known for their comfortability on dry land. Their pectoral fins allow them to move upon dry land well. Moreover, their unique gill structure makes it possible for the fish to breathe air.
Being that the species is so adaptable to spending time on land, walking catfish are known to travel from one water source to another, in search of necessary resources. The species first appeared in Florida in the 1960s. According to the Florida Game and Wildlife Commission, they are sometimes found in the swampy Everglades. today, the species can be found across most of South Florida.
Bardach's video did a mighty fine job highlighting the unique nature of the walking catfish.
