Friday Fish & Chips

A new species has been discovered in Venezuela. A freakin' CLIMBING CATFISH!

A grasping pelvic fin allows this new catfish species to climb vertical surfaces like an inch worm.

WTF!! Trust me. No good can come from "a specialized pelvic fin that decouples from its body and moves backward and forward independently." Just ask Bill Clinton.



BTW, do we really need catfish coming up for air and walking around in our world? What the heck is evolution up to? Call me a cynic, but I don't think these climbing catfish come in peace, equipped as they are with bony armor that protects their head and tail. Warning. DO NOT NOODLE THESE!

Once these creatures establish a foothold on land, don't be surprised when they start employing Spartan battle tactics used at Thermopylae. The bone-chilling "WE ARE SPARTA!" battle cry would instead be "WE ARE Lithogenes wahari". Sure, this doesn't sound nearly as intimidating, until you wake up with one of these whiskered-faced nightmares nose to nose with you as you open your eyes.

Obama help us if these innocent looking creatures turn out to be Samlon.

"Did you mean SALMON?"

No, I did not. If you had to ask, then you haven't read The Legacy of Heorot, by Niven, Barnes, and Pournelle. If you are a fan of science fiction/horror novels, I suggest you run out and noodle yourself a copy immediately.