WTF Stories of the Week

[Kevy Baby]

Newly discovered catfish species climbs rocks
Fish's pelvic fin decouples from body and moves backward and forward

A previously unknown species of climbing catfish has been discovered in remote Venezuela, and its strange traits are shaking the evolutionary tree for these fish.

The newfound catfish, Lithogenes wahari, shares traits with two different families of fish — Loricariidae (armored catfishes) and Astroblepidae (climbing catfishes). It has bony armor that protects its head and tail, and a grasping pelvic fin that helps it to climb vertical surfaces such as rocks.

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