A fish with specialized abilities or organs that allow it to climb out of water or move on land, such as certain catfish or mudskippers.
English compound word combining 'climbing' (from Old English 'climban') and 'fish' (from Old English 'fisc'). The term emerged in the 19th century as naturalists documented fish species with unusual locomotive abilities.
Some climbing fish like the Sailfin pleco can move across damp ground by using their pectoral fins, essentially 'walking' across land—they're proof that fish didn't have to stay in water forever!
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