Yes, for a period of time. The mangrove killfish spends several months of every year out of the water, living inside rotting branches and tree trunks. The 2-inch- (5-centimeter-) long fish normally lives in muddy pools and the flooded burrows of crabs in the mangrove swamps of Florida, Latin America, and the Caribbean. When their pools of water dry up, they temporarily alter their gills to retain water and nutrients, while they excrete nitrogen waste through their skin. These changes are reversed as soon as they return to the water. The mangrove killfish is not the only fish able to temporarily survive out of water. The walking catfish of Southeast Asia has gills that allow it to breathe in air and in water. The giant mudskippers of Southeast Asia breathe through their gills underwater and breathe air on land by absorbing oxygen through their skin and the back of the mouth and throat.
- How can fish breathe underwater?
- Is there a place on Earth where the Sun does not rise?
- Do doctors ever use bugs for medical reasons?
- What do spiders do with their victims?
- What is ballooning?
- How long does it take a spider to spin its web?
- What’s the difference between an insect and a spider?
- Which insect is sometimes called a “vicious predator”?
- What is the largest insect on Earth?
- Do some insects use slaves to survive?
- What do the spots on the wings of butterflies and moths do?
- Why do insects have eyes with thousands of lenses?
- Where does the Sun shine the most?
- Why do butterflies and other insects fly from flower to flower?
- How do insects grow?
- Why are there so many insects?
- How many different kinds of insects are there?
- How long is the giant anteater’s tongue?
- Is it true that a shark can smell a drop of blood from a mile away?
- Why is the walrus nicknamed tooth walker?
