Watch as walking catfish washes up in Florida driveway as Hurricane Debby approached
Have you ever seen a fish get up and "walk" its way over to a puddle? Thanks to a video shared by one family in Florida, now you can.
A man in Gulfport in south Florida found an unusual visitor in his driveway on Sunday as Hurricane Debby − which has since been downgraded to a tropical storm − approached the state, bringing heavy rain, 80 mph winds and extensive flooding.
Louis Bardach told wire service Storyful that he was riding out the bad weather when he found none other than a catfish washed up in his driveway. Noting in the video that the fish was "very much alive," Bardach explained to the camera that the "very weird catfish" had likely been dragged to the driveway by the storm.
Bardach's footage shows the dark, whiskered fish sitting relatively still on the blacktop until Bardash moves to touch it, at which point it begins flopping back and forth in a slithering-like motion.
“It’s walking away," Bardach continues. "Not sure how it got here, or where he’s trying to get to."
The "walking" Bardach refers to is the fish's effective movement across land using its fins, which allowed it to reach a deeper puddle on the flooded streetway and swim off.
More:Four killed in Florida by Debby, now a tropical storm: Live updates
What is a walking catfish?
The walking catfish (Clarias batrachus) is a freshwater species of catfish native to Southeast Asia but often found in Florida. The species can move across dry land using its pectoral fins, which allow it to remain upright and wiggle across surfaces like a snake. They are also equipped with a special gill structure that allows them to breathe air.
This ability to breathe and move on land allows the fish to jump from water source to water source in search of food and survival. It is not uncommon to find walking catfish in swampy areas of Florida like the Everglades, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. They are also prone to appearing in drainage systems after major storms and flooding.
The species first appeared in Florida in the 1960s, possibly the result of escapes from human-kept aquatic facilities. They can now be found across most of South Florida, according to the Florida Museum.
The fish grow to about 20 inches long, weigh 2.5 pounds and usually appear in shades of gray-brown with white spots. It is illegal to possess and transport live walking catfish in the state.
Tropical Storm Debby
Tropical Storm Debby, the fourth named storm of the 2024 hurricane season, originally formed in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday before touching down in Florida as a Category 1 hurricane around 7 a.m. Monday.
The storm made landfall with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph near the town of Steinhatchee, killing at least four people. Debby moved across northern Florida for more than three hours before being downgraded to a tropical storm, with wind speeds slowing to 65 mph by 2 p.m.
State officials have reported widespread flooding and electrical outages, leaving at least 250,000 homes and businesses without power across northern Florida as of Monday afternoobn. The storm is expected to make its way across the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina, dropping a "potentially historic heavy rainfall" of 19 to 20 inches from northern Florida to southeastern North Carolina, and upwards of 30 inches in parts of northern Georgia and South Carolina.
President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency across Florida on Sunday, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the Florida National Guard and Florida State Guard were activated to support humanitarian assistance.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp also declared a state of emergency for his state as the storm approached.