Walking catfish are very cool. However, isn't the current hypothesis that legs, etc, developed in shallow-water bottom dwellers before they decided on froggy goes awalking? If that was the case, I like the Ambystomatidae family of salamanders as a better modern example, especially this little guy (
Ambystoma mexicanum):
Innit cute? Note the fully developed limbs and hands, coupled with the feather gills of an obligate water dweller. This species (and a few others of the family) remains neotenic, although the majority of the 30-odd species in the family metamorphose into land dwelling amphibians. Here's a pic of one of the metamorphosed
A. mexicanum - very rare, and indistinguishable from
A. tigrinum:
fixed pic width, hhmm doesn't seem to do anything to page width tho - The Queen
[This message has been edited by AdminAsgara, 12-05-2003]
[This message has been edited by AdminAsgara, 12-05-2003]
{Bumped the width of 2nd photo from 60% to 80%, page width was fine at 60%, and (in preview anyhow) also at 80% - AM}
[This message has been edited by Adminnemooseus, 12-05-2003]