Rock-climbing fish can shimmy up a 50-foot waterfall (text.npr.org)

A new study reports that shellear fish (Parakneria thysi) in the Democratic Republic of Congo can climb a 50-foot waterfall, shimmying up the rock face in the splash zone rather than the strongest current. Researchers found the fish use rear pelvic fins for support and front fins with tiny hook-like structures for grip, moving vertically in short “power burst” bursts and often resting. The team says the behavior likely reflects upstream migration, meaning changes to waterfall water flow (like dams or irrigation) could threaten the species, and they describe it as the first formal documentation of the behavior in Africa.