Fish which can walk out of water and breathe on land for six days 'could spell major disaster' for wildlife in Australia

Your support helps us to tell the story

Support Now

Find out moreClose

Our mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.

Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.

Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.

Louise Thomas

Editor

A bizarre and seemingly super-powered fish which can walk out of water and breathe on land for up to six days could spell a 'major disaster' for wildlife, scientists have warned.

The aggressive climbing perch, which has lungs as well as gills, has been discovered in northern Australia.

And according to James Cook University researchers, the creature could cause a ‘major disaster’ for Australian wildlife if it thrives there.

The fish, a native of Papua New Guinea, can kill birds and larger fish by swelling up inside their windpipes and choking them, Metro reported.

Only a few have been sighted on land in Australia so far, but scientists are said to be monitoring their progress.

Ecologist Nathan Waltham warned: "When they populate an area they’re not commonly found in, they can disrupt the balance of that habitat."