The climbing perch is a freshwater fish that can crawl on land.

The climbing perch is a small freshwater fish of the family Anabantidae in the order Perciformes, popularly known among the public as the "mountain-crossing crucian carp" or "tree-climbing fish". It is mainly distributed in South China and parts of Southeast Asia, and mostly inhabits slow-flowing shallow-water environments such as ponds, ditches and rice paddies.

The climbing perch is best known for its ability to survive for a long time out of water. It has a labyrinth organ in its gill cavity that allows it to swallow air directly for breathing, giving it an especially strong tolerance for low oxygen. In humid weather, it can use its gill covers and pectoral fins to support its body and crawl short distances on land, moving to new bodies of water, which is how it got the name climbing perch.

Folk legend has it that the climbing perch can climb trees, but in reality it cannot truly climb trees; it only moves short distances on land, and this is often exaggerated. In addition, its survival out of water depends on keeping its body moist, and it will also die if left in a dry environment for a long time.

This fish has a laterally compressed body, roughly diamond-shaped, with fairly thick, hard scales, and its body color is mostly grayish green or brown. It is an omnivorous fish that often feeds on small fish, small shrimp, insects and aquatic plants. It has a wide diet, does not demand much of water quality, and has very strong adaptability.

In terms of uses, the climbing perch has tender flesh and contains nutrients such as protein, and is regarded as a specialty food fish in some areas of South China. Because it tolerates low oxygen and rough rearing, it is also farmed artificially in some areas, and is suitable for raising in ponds or small bodies of water, with relatively simple daily management. However, when farming it, special attention must be paid to preventing escape, because it has the ability to crawl out of water, so pond fencing needs to be made fairly secure.