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A peculiar species of fish that can walk and breathe air shows that it might be more capable of adapting to life on land than previously thought, according to a new study. 

The findings of the study could help explain how the ancient fish ancestors of humans colonized the land, according to researchers. 

The evolution of the ancient fish that switched from living in water to living on land about 400 million years ago is considered one of the most pivotal moments in the history of entire animal kingdom. These four-limbed animals, also called stem tetrapods, ultimately gave rise to amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals, LiveScience reported. 

"When fish started moving onto land, the fossil record suggests there was a great deal of diversity among fish, and thus a lot of competition between the fish," said lead study author Emily Standen, an evolutionary and comparative biomechanist at the University of Ottawa in Canada, in a press release. "One can imagine there was a pretty good drive for those fish that could to get out of that environment and make use of opportunities on land."

Researchers raised a group of juvenile bichir on land for around eight months. The observed how these fish differed in their anatomy and how they moved on land compared with bichir raised in the water. 

"The number one difficulty we faced was how the heck to keep fish alive on land for months at a time," Standen told Live Science. "I designed and built an aquarium setup that had kept a few millimeters of water on its floor, enough to keep the fish moist. In addition, I used misters, like you see in the lettuce aisle at grocery stores to freshen the vegetables, to keep the fish moist and in a very humid environment that helped them survive."

Researchers added that future research can seek to uncover the genetic and developmental mechanism underlying the plasticity of the bichir. 

The findings of the study has been published in the journal Nature.