Mudskipper
Periophthalmus sp.
Where is it found?
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Mangrove swamps
Diet and foraging method
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Pursue arthropods on land by sliding and skipping across mud.
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Key adaptations
Mudskippers have special adaptations for spending most of their time out of the water. They can use their pectoral fins to walk on land, and their muscular tail and side fins allow them to skip over the mud. Their eyes are high on the top of their head which enables them to see their flying insect prey, and avoid predation from birds. They have enlarged gill chambers to hold a bubble of air, but can also absorb oxygen through their skin which has many blood vessels for this purpose.
Social organisation and mating system
N/A
Did you know that...?
Mudskippers dig deep burrows in the mud to avoid predators at high tide, and to regulate their temperature. They can keep an air pocket inside the burrow so they can breathe even when oxygen concentrations are low.
Taxonomy
Picture credits:
Maps from: http://species.mol.org/species/
"Periophthalmus modestus eating ragworm" by Alpsdake - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Periophthalmus_modestus_eating_ragworm.JPG#/media/File:Periophthalmus_modestus_eating_ragworm.JPG
"Periophthalmus modestus eating ragworm" by Alpsdake - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Periophthalmus_modestus_eating_ragworm.JPG#/media/File:Periophthalmus_modestus_eating_ragworm.JPG
