Tilapia fish line up in order, 'walking' on dry ditch

Witnessing the scene of a school of tilapia lining up in an orderly manner to move through a dry ditch, many people were amazed. The clip was recorded on September 27, in Haikou City, Hainan Province, China.

Torrential rains in recent days are believed to be the cause of this unusual migration. The fish probably jumped ashore from the nearby Meilan River.

Locals were amazed as the fish moved in an orderly line, steadfastly crossing the terrain and seemingly unaffected by the lack of water for several hours.

"It was as if they were migrating. The vitality of the fish was amazing, they did not die even after being out of water for several hours," said an eyewitness.

This fish possesses strong pectoral fins.

This particular fish has been identified as a climbing perch , which is known to live in bodies of water such as ponds and canals and feed on microscopic aquatic organisms, including small fish and shrimp. Climbing perch are equipped with highly developed gills, allowing them to breathe air and survive long periods of time out of water. The longest a climbing perch has survived on land is six days.

These fish also possess strong pectoral fins, which help them overcome barriers, slopes, and migrate to new aquatic habitats by manipulating their gill covers, pectoral fins, and flipping their bodies.

Most fish are afraid to leave the water because they die quickly in such conditions. However, perch are a clear exception. They often voluntarily jump onto land and cross to land, a strategic move to locate a more favorable environment for survival.