Walking Fish News: Cryptotora Thamicola Discovery Vital to Some Aspects of Evolution
A walking species of fish has been found in Thailand, and scientists believe that this discovery can shed light on some evolution-related aspects of science.
The said fish, a species of cavefish, displays anatomical features that, for the longest time, have been identifiable only to four-limbed vertebrates, such as amphibians and reptiles. Its ability to walk and climb waterfalls was captured on video that left many in awe.
"What these fish do, in complete darkness, is stick to the rock and climb waterfalls, completely underwater… the pelvis and vertebral column of this fish allow it to support its body weight against gravity and provide large sites for muscle attachment for walking," said researcher and co-author Brooke E. Flammang, an assistant professor of biological sciences at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) via a statement released to the press.
While it's true that there are some species of fish that are equipped with the ability to move on land, what sets apart the said species of cavefish, Cryptotora thamicola, is that it holds the record of being the only living fish to have a "robust pelvic girdle" that it uses to climb. This is the clear difference of the walking cavefish between other fishes that are able to walk under water with the aid of their pectoral and pelvic fins, such as a frogfish, which depends on the water around it to move its body.
According to the NJIT, the discovery is significant as it may shed light on how the anatomy of formerly known strictly aquatic creatures, such as the tetrapods, evolved and enabled them to walk on land.
"… This is one of the first fish that we have as a living species that acts in a way that we think they must have acted when they evolved from a fluid environment to a terrestrial environment," according to Flammang.
