Thai Blind Cavefish Climbs Waterfalls Like Four-Legged Animals

NJIT researchers have discovered a unique feature in a Thai blind cavefish that allows the fish to "walk" in ways not seen in other kinds of fishes.

The cavefish, also known as Cryptotora thamicola, uses its fins to "walk." It moves in a similar way compared to tetrapods, or four-legged mammals and amphibians, according to NJIT.

The team of researches discovered that the fish has anatomical features that allow the blind fish to do this. It even climbs up waterfalls like a salamander. Study results show that the fish uses its fins and even its pelvis to help them walk on land.

"It possesses morphological features that have previously only been attributed to tetrapods," said Brooke Flammang, the study's co-author, in a statement. "The pelvis and vertebral column of this fish allow it to support its body weight against gravity and provide large sites for muscle attachment for walking."

Researchers have even found tracks made by similar fish in caves in Europe that date back to 400 million years ago, states Christian Science Monitor.

Through these findings, scientists are given more direction into how the first four-legged creatures to walk on land appeared like and how they evolved.

"This research gives us insight into the plasticity of the fish body plan and the convergent morphological features that were seen in the evolution of tetrapods," states Flammang.