Scientists uncover rare fish that can 'climb waterfalls' in insane video
For the first time, researchers in Brazil recently documented a rare sighting of bumblebee catfish as they engaged in a unique climbing behavior up a waterfall.
The beauty of nature can often be mysterious and surprising, especially when observed in the wild. A huge cluster of rare orange and black fish were recently spotted on camera doing something out of the ordinary.
A recently released video shows thousands of bumblebee catfish, also known as Rhyacoglanis paranensis, climbing waterfalls in southern Brazil. Most people have seen fish swimming down-stream, but observing fish climbing up a waterfall is an intriguing sight.
There is little known about the biology of these fish, and it is the first time that this remarkable climbing behavior has been documented and observed, according to a study published in the Journal of Fish Biology.
According to the study, this sighting shows the “importance of field observations in understanding small migratory fishes' ecological role and conservation needs, particularly in the context of potential threats posed by habitat fragmentation and river damming.”
How were these rare fish spotted?
In November 2024, environmental military police in the Brazil state Mato Grosso do Sul State spotted these catfish climbing up the 1-to-4-meters-high slippery rocks on the Aquidauana River, according to Phys.org.
A week after the initial sighting, a team of Brazilian scientists went to the river to observe and document the activity.
The researchers found that the behaviors of the catfish shifted depending on the time of day. In the hot afternoons, the fish would go underneath the rocks to seek shade. They made their ascent up the rocks in the early evening when the sun was setting.
The fish were able to climb by keeping their paired fins wide open and lateral and caudal movements to hoist themselves up the rocks, according to the scientists. They also believe that the catfish have a suction mechanism that allows them to stick to the surface of the rocks.
Both female and male catfish were spotted, and most of the fish were mature adults. The scientists also spotted three other species alongside the rare catfish.
If you can't see the video above, click here.
Why do the fish swim up the waterfalls?
While little is known about these fish, because they tend to swim in fast-flowing rivers making it difficult to observe, the scientists suspect that they were migrating upwards to reproduce.
They also note that this climbing behavior begins with the start of the rainy season.
This research is critical
The researchers highlight the importance of observing rare events like this because of conservation efforts.
When researchers are able to understand the behaviors of rare species, they are able to mitigate future threats to the environment.
“Behavior is generally the animal's “first line of defense” in response to environmental change,” says Joy Mench in an article for the ILAR Journal.
Continuing, she says, “As such, careful observations of behavior can provide us with a great deal of information about animals' requirements, preferences and dislikes, and internal states…”
Hopefully, this research of the rare bumblebee catfish will allow researchers to monitor the species moving forward so they can better understand them and document more field observation. Future spotting may allow them to more thoroughly understand why the catfish are moving upstream.