A "walking" fish that can move across dry land is threatening to make its way to Australia from Papua New Guinea and could pose a threat to local birds and marine life, scientists have warned.
The climbing perch, an invasive and exceedingly aggressive freshwater species which drags itself between waterholes, can survive for up to six days without water and has already made its way to islands off Australia.
Scientists monitoring the fish’s progress now believe it can survive in saltwater and is set to head for the Australian mainland, possibly by catching a ride in a fishing boat.
The fish was discovered on two small Australian islands in late 2005, about three to four miles south of Papua New Guinea.
“I still think the chances of it getting to Australia by swimming are quite low,” said Dr Nathan Waltham from James Cook University.
“There is more chance it will arrive in the bottom of a fishing boat or as discarded live-bait fish.”
The climbing perch, or Anabas testudineus, has tended to overpower native species in new environments and can hibernate in the mud of dry creek beds for up to six months.
It is able to destroy larger creatures by swelling up after being swallowed to block the predator’s throat, thereby choking adversaries or forcing them to starve.
“It does seem to be able to handle a little bit of salt,” Dr Waltham said. “In our trip up there in December we found it in some hyper saline water holes, so there is some ability to resist exposure.”
In the past 30 to 40 years, the climbing perch has spread across Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
Scientists have been working with local communities on small islands north of Australia to assist with preventing it from further advancing.
Herbert Warusam, a ranger on Saibai Island, a Torres Strait island north of Queensland, said: “We are now actively monitoring climbing perch in our wetlands and educating local fisherman to report sightings. It is important we don’t let them travel beyond our Island.”
Re: Just what Australia needs
Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2015 7:10 pm
by rubato
"Holy walking catfish Batman. The cane toads are going to become gigantic eating those!"
Yrs,
Rubato
Re: Just what Australia needs
Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2015 7:18 pm
by Joe Guy
The way the article is written, it seems like they are talking about one individual fish.
Re: Just what Australia needs
Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2015 9:22 pm
by Gob
One's more than enough.
Re: Just what Australia needs
Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2015 10:10 pm
by Big RR
Maybe, but usually you need at least two.
Re: Just what Australia needs
Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2015 11:42 pm
by Joe Guy
That fish looks tired....
Re: Just what Australia needs
Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2015 12:16 am
by rubato
Big RR wrote:Maybe, but usually you need at least two.
One pregnant female will do.
yrs,
rubato
Re: Just what Australia needs
Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2015 12:59 am
by MajGenl.Meade
At least it will raise the average IQ
Re: Just what Australia needs
Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2015 2:28 am
by wesw
that perch looks parched. does a climbing perch climb up and perch on something/ the parched perch perched
Re: Just what Australia needs
Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2015 11:34 am
by Econoline
It might perch on a porch? (Or in a fancier neighborhood...on a Porsche, perchance?)
Re: Just what Australia needs
Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2015 12:32 pm
by wesw
the parched perch perched on the porch and pleaded..., perchance may I purchase a Perrier ?
his thirst quenched, he pooped on my Porsche and paddled away...
Re: Just what Australia needs
Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2015 1:21 pm
by Big RR
rubato wrote:
Big RR wrote:Maybe, but usually you need at least two.
One pregnant female will do.
yrs,
rubato
True, but somehow I doubt a fish ready to deliver eggs/young would leave the aquatic environment in search of new ponds, lest it deliver on the land.
Re: Just what Australia needs
Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2015 1:32 pm
by wesw
ther is at least one fish that can turn itself into a female and get themselves pregnant if necessary. it has also been discovered that some lizard fems can get themselves pregnant, have all male babies and wait for them to grow up, then make more babies, male and female....
Re: Just what Australia needs
Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2015 2:31 pm
by Big RR
That's true as well; it even happened to a dinosaur in Jurassic Park.
But it would be a lot easier to start with two fish, a male and a female in a pond. Even the ark took animals by twos.
Re: Just what Australia needs
Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2015 2:53 pm
by wesw
well I m not a Jurassic park fan, or a movie fan at all really, but holly is, and she wants to see Jurassic World badly. cripes. I did catch the lord of the rings and the hobbit!
I m a big Ent fan...
I m such the opposite of the placid ents that I can t help but admire them.... and they kick ass when you push them too far!
eta- I didn t get the lizard info from Jurassic park, by the way
Re: Just what Australia needs
Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2015 3:10 pm
by Big RR
I didn't mean to insinuate that's where you got your information.
