A catfish that had been dead for a long time, seemed to move after being given a splash of water. The catfish, which looked dry with mud all over its body, was seen breathing for the first time through its mouth, as water was poured over its body.
This video showing the dead catfish coming back to life has gone viral among Reddit users. Actually this is not a strange thing. The suckermouth catfish or pleco is a species that has evolved the ability to switch to modes such as hibernation.
This means, as quoted from the Mirror, the suckermouth catfish can survive under dry, hardened mud for months, without access to water until it rains.
Unlike most fish, plecos can also live up to 30 hours out of water if they store enough oxygen in their stomachs. This species is highly adaptable, and the fresh water suckermouth catfish can weigh up to three pounds and rely on accessory organs associated with gill cavities that allow the pleco to breathe air.
They have gills to breathe and swim to the surface to breathe air when less oxygen can be found in the water.
The air-breathing freshwater suckermouth catfish is native to northern South America, and is so named because of the shape of its mouth that looks like a suction cup.
But Plecos is not the only one with this ability. African lungfish are also adapted to survive on the edge of land. They rely on gills that interact with functional lungs to supply oxygen, they have also adapted to live through periods of drought by making small tunnels under the ground, or in mud.
The organs of these animals maintain moisture around the body and allow enough air to circulate around them to breathe without the need for water.