Strange fish species can live on land for a whole year without dying
Once adults, they can live on land for years, and can even drown if kept in water for too long.
Of course, fish must live in water, that is an undeniable natural law. But there is a species of fish that goes against that law. Lungfish, also known as Salamanderfish, is a freshwater fish that can live on land without water for months, even years.
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This fish builds its own cocoon when the dry season comes. |
Lungfish have highly developed respiratory systems that can take in oxygen from the air like other land animals. They live in water as juveniles and must come to the surface to breathe air regularly. As adults, they can live on land for years and can even drown if kept in water for too long.
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Their fins are very stiff to move easily on land. |
Lungfish have long, eel-like bodies and strong pectoral and pelvic fins, which help them move easily on land. They usually live in shallow water, such as swamps and marshes, but are also occasionally found in large lakes.
When in the water, they move and feed like other fish. But during the dry season, they dig a deep hole in the young mud by eating mud with their mouths and passing it through their gills. When they reach a sufficient depth, they stop digging and secrete mucus through their mouths to harden the mud, forming a cocoon around themselves, with only their mouths exposed to take in air.
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While in hibernation, they limit their metabolism. |
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The strange way of life of lungfish. |
While in hibernation, they limit their metabolism. When water returns, they emerge from their burrows and begin searching for food.
This species is commonly found in Africa, South America and Australia. Africans often catch them by digging their holes in dry swamps. However, their meat has a very strong smell and not everyone likes the taste.
According to Discovery
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