Walking catfish breathe air and ‘walk’ on their pectoral fins.
Stray catfish makes appearance in residential area in Florida
A catfish “walking” was spotted in a driveway in Florida amid flooding from Tropical Storm Debby.
Florida has walking catfish. Literally.
The state well-known for frozen iguanas during winter is getting attention for Hurricane Debby, not just for damage and flooding across the state, but for weird phenomena that sometimes accompanies tropical storms. In this case: A catfish was spotted on a driveway. And it walked, er, swam away to a nearby puddle.
How did it get there?
As a tropical storm, Debby drenched parts of the Sunshine State this past weekend, forming in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday, Aug. 4, and making landfall a day later in the Big Bend region of North Florida. The storm was predicted to bring major flooding, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. And with the rain sometimes bring unexpected critters.
A Florida homeowner shared video on social of a walking catfish. Here’s what we know about them and what to do if you find one “swimming” in your driveway or lawn.
Social media reaction: Hurricane Debby photos, video of rain, flooding before and after landfall in Florida
What is a walking catfish? How do walking catfish walk? Do walking catfish have legs?
Though the type of catfish in the YouTube video wasn’t confirmed Monday, it’s possible it was a walking catfish. These catfish, which breathe air and “walk” on their pectoral fins, are native to freshwater in Southeast Asia. However, they are found throughout Florida in swampy areas like the Everglades, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. They are sometimes found in storm drainage systems, which they may emerge from during floods.
You might spot them using their pectoral fins to walk, or swimming through flood waters.
Walking catfish do not have legs, per se, but they “walk” or move in an S formation, wiggling similar to an eel or snake with quick, whiplike movements.
Where do walking catfish come from? Can you eat walking catfish?
Initially from South Asia, the walking catfish’s introduction to Florida is believed to be linked to an importation by an aquaculture facility in Palm Beach County, Florida, or a truck transporting brood fish between Miami and Broward County, according to the Florida Museum. Since then, they have spread to 20 counties in 10 years, with the museum adding that the fishes’ ability to spread has likely been “aided by its ability to traverse short over land and potentially enhanced survivorship imparted by parental care of their young.”
It is illegal to possess and transport live walking catfish in Florida, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has said, noting that fisherman should immediately put them on ice if they want to try eating them. AZ Animals reports they are considered a tasty fish in their native home and are “fairly safe” to eat.
Is catfish on driveways or yards in Florida common during hurricane season?
Like frozen iguanas falling from trees (don’t worry, they’re typically still alive), reports of walking catfish in Florida typically seem to make the news during hurricane season, when rain and flooding occurs and they emerge from storm drainage systems onto streets, sidewalks or yards.
When Hurricane Ian made landfall in 2022, Dove Goldenberg recorded a TikTok video of a catfish swimming in a flooded yard in Palm Bay, Florida.
Becky Blasch, a Merritt Island, Florida, resident, asked friends on Facebook if others had a “yard full of catfish,” saying she had spotted more than 14 in her yard and even on her welcome mat.
A USA TODAY Network-Florida reporter spotted two catfish at her home near Wickham Park in Melbourne, Florida, during Hurricane Ian. One fish measured about 6 or 7 inches long and was found flopping in the driveway in a shallow puddle of water. Hours later, another was found thrashing in the grass in her backyard. Both were released to another neighborhood pond.
Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.
Source link : https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2024/08/05/hurricane-debby-landfall-walking-catfish-florida-driveway-safe-eat/74675291007/
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Publish date : 2024-08-05 08:43:00
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