As Hurricane Debby wreaked havoc across Florida, it wasn’t just the $1 million worth of cocaine washing ashore that grabbed headlines. The storm also brought an unusual invasion of nonnative walking catfish, described by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission as moving “like an infantryman scooting under barbed wire,” right onto residents’ doorsteps.
Walking catfish spotted on flooded roads
Several videos surfaced this week showing these walking catfish wriggling across the land after heavy rains from Debby flooded streets and driveways. One such video, captured in Gulfport on Sunday by Luis Bardach, just hours before Debby made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane, shows the fish squirming on a driveway, seemingly undeterred by the lack of water.
A nonnative species with unique abilities
These catfish aren’t your typical aquatic species. Known as walking catfish, they originate from Southeast Asia and were first reported in Florida in the late 1960s. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, these fish are identifiable by their elongated, gray, scaleless bodies, sharp pectoral spines, and large mouths. Unlike the catfish often caught by noodling, this species is rarely found in large lakes and is known for its ability to breathe air and travel across land using its pectoral fins.
The walking catfish has adapted well to Florida’s environment, particularly in the Everglades and the state’s central and southern regions. These fish can survive in water with little to no oxygen and have been known to emerge from storm drainage systems during floods.
Despite their nonnative status, walking catfish are considered a conditional species rather than invasive. Initially, it was feared they would displace native fish populations, but those concerns have proven largely unfounded. While they haven’t had a significant negative impact on native wildlife, they are still deemed “undesirable.”
Catching these slippery fish is a challenge due to their mucus-covered skin, which protects them when out of water. This protective layer also plays a role in their reproductive success. The Florida Museum of Natural History notes that male walking catfish are “good parents,” building nests in underwater vegetation and guarding the eggs and young.
Owning and transporting live walking catfish without state and federal permits is illegal. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission advises that they “can only be possessed dead,” so anglers interested in trying them as a meal should “immediately put them on ice.”
As Hurricane Debby continues to impact the East Coast, bringing flooding and strange wildlife encounters, Florida residents are left dealing with the unexpected consequences of the storm.
