"During major floods, thousands of tiny fish convene at Luvilombo Falls in the upper Congo River Basin to undertake a peculiar vertical migration, described for the first time today in Scientific Reports."
"These fins are covered in what Kiwele Mutambala Pacifique, a Ph.D. student at the University of Lubumbashi, calls petit crochet (French for little hooks). These microscopic single-celled structures give the shellear its grip."
"The shellear travel with bursts of upward motion that are peppered with short rests under a minute long and longer breaks of about an hour whenever they reach a ledge where they can lay their fishy head."
The shellear fish, about the size of a ziti noodle, can climb a 50-foot waterfall in the Congo River Basin. During floods, these fish gather at Luvilombo Falls to migrate vertically. They press their fins, equipped with microscopic hooks, against the rock face to grip. The ascent mimics swimming but is vertical, with the fish taking frequent breaks. The entire journey lasts around 10 hours, with significant resting periods at ledges along the way.
Read at www.scientificamerican.com
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