Which living creatures can swim and fly, but not walk? (feddit.org)

submitted 4 months ago by bricked@feddit.org to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

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Whenever I see this picture I think of this:

| Creature | Swims | Walks | Flies |
| -------- | ----- | ----- | ----- |
| Dog      | X     | X     |       |
| Fish     | X     |       |       |
| Bird     |       | X     | X     |
| Duck     | X     | X     | X     |

Notice how for each combination of swimming, walking and flying, there is a living creature that can do just that, with the exception of swimming and flying.

Sure there are flying fish, but they glide rather than fly. Did evolution really forget to cover this niche?

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[-] anon_8675309@lemmy.world 9 points 4 months ago

Flying fish

[-] udon@lemmy.world 0 points 4 months ago

The fish only says it can't walk

[-] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 2 points 4 months ago

lungfish

[-] udon@lemmy.world 2 points 4 months ago

Okay, but does it fly? Find me a fish that can do all three

[-] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 2 points 4 months ago

Lungfish in a hang glider

[-] ChonkyOwlbear@lemmy.world 4 points 4 months ago

Dragonflies.

Their nymph phase is aquatic and in their adult phase they only fly. Their legs are only for grasping.

[-] FartsWithAnAccent@fedia.io 1 points 4 months ago

Pretty sure I've seen dragon flies crawling along plants on land?

[-] chuckleslord@lemmy.world 3 points 4 months ago

All fish fly, just not through the air.

And, uh, The Common Loon is a creature that can swim and fly, but can't walk. It's feet are too far back to be able to walk.

[-] Berengaria_of_Navarre@lemmy.world 3 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

A paraplegic seaplane pilot

[-] EfreetSK@lemmy.world 2 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

These things:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_fish

[-] noxypaws@pawb.social 2 points 4 months ago

Loon

[-] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 4 months ago

That actually might be the best answer! Flying fish only glide.

[-] MrsDoyle@sh.itjust.works 2 points 4 months ago

I would vote for the gannet as able to fly and swim. They dive incredibly fast to catch fish, so they go deep, and once down there, they use their wings to swim after fish.

Great article here, with photos: https://www.naturettl.com/underwater-world-gannets/

[-] ulterno@programming.dev 0 points 4 months ago

So while it needs to get out to breathe, it can still swim underwater for as long as it has breath. Nice.
However, those feet look like they can be used to walk.

[-] Postmortal_Pop@lemmy.world 2 points 4 months ago

Flying Fish

[-] trxxruraxvr@lemmy.world 0 points 4 months ago

They don't really fly though, just glide a short distance after a jump.

[-] NOT_RICK@lemmy.world 1 points 4 months ago

Falling, with style!

[-] DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works 2 points 4 months ago

It's called a @FlyingSquid@lemmy.world

[-] tal@lemmy.today 1 points 4 months ago

Note that Markdown does tables:

|Creature|Swims|Walks|Flies|
|-|-|-|-|
|Dog|X|X||
|Fish|X|||
|Bird||X|X|
|Duck|X|X|X|

Yields:

Creature	Swims	Walks	Flies
Dog	X	X
Fish	X
Bird		X	X
Duck	X	X	X

[-] trxxruraxvr@lemmy.world 1 points 4 months ago

Depends on the markdown dialect, it's not a standard feature. I didn't know Lemmy supports it.

[-] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 1 points 4 months ago

Ducks are birds

[-] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 4 months ago

I've always been of the opinion since fish can breathe underwater just like birds breathe above water, all fish are technically flying in their own environment.

[-] bricked@feddit.org 1 points 4 months ago

Does that also mean that birds swim in the air?

[-] psx_crab@lemmy.zip 1 points 4 months ago

Air is just significantly less dense water.

[-] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 4 months ago

I would say yes.

[-] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 1 points 4 months ago

Here's an australian lungfish

Here's linda the lungfish

[-] SwingingTheLamp@piefed.zip 1 points 4 months ago

The common loon flies and swims, but isn't able to walk.

[-] bricked@feddit.org 1 points 4 months ago

Thanks! That's exactly what I've been searching for.

[-] Fermion@mander.xyz 1 points 4 months ago

We need to add digging/ tunneling to the grid.

[-] Jerb322@lemmy.world 1 points 4 months ago

Cormorants don't walk well... Their legs are set far back on their body for more efficient swimming.

[-] bricked@feddit.org 1 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

I think this and loons are the closest to what I've been searching for! I even found a video of a loon having to be rescued because it's unable to walk.

[-] python@lemmy.world 0 points 4 months ago

Genus Chrysopelea, commonly referred to as flying snakes. Most snakes are perfectly fine swimmers, so I bet that Genus can swim as well.

[-] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 0 points 4 months ago

You have to take a restrictive definition of "walk", though.

[-] python@lemmy.world 1 points 4 months ago

huh, is it restrictive to say that you need some number of legs to be able to walk?

[-] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 0 points 4 months ago

Only walk could be an ant, I guess, but what about only fly?

[-] nandeEbisu@lemmy.world 1 points 4 months ago

Some species of ants form rafts and "swim" on water.

this post was submitted on 01 Feb 2026

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