I’ve actually seen fish catch their breath out of water.
When an old pond was drained the fish didn’t have enough water so they came up on the banks of the pond.
They flopped around really fast for a while and then when they were all rested up they lay still. After a few days they evolved into big black birds and flew away.
Saw with my own eyes! and Yes, they left lots of tracks.
I'd think that when they got tired of all that flopping around, they decided to take a nap.