Giant mudskipper, Periophthalmodon schlosseri, basking on a tree root.
Periophthalmodon schlosseri, the giant mudskipper, is a species of mudskipper native to the tropical shores of the eastern Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean where it occurs in marine, brackish and fresh waters. It is most frequently found along muddy shores in estuaries as well as in the tidal zones of rivers. It lives in a burrow in the mud and emerges from the burrow at low tide on sunny days. It can move quickly across a muddy surface and is capable of breathing both in and out of water. The giant mudskipper can grow to a length of 27 centimetres. They are completely amphibious fish that can use their pectoral fins to walk on land. Being amphibious, they are uniquely adapted to intertidal habitats, unlike most fish in such habitats which survive the retreat of the tide by hiding under wet seaweed or in tidal pools. Mudskippers are quite active when out of water, feeding and interacting with one another, for example, to defend their territories. They are found in tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions, including the Indo-Pacific and the Atlantic coast of Africa.
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Photo credit: © Scenics & Science / Alamy / Afripics
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Keywords: basking, fins, giant, gills, intertidal, mudskipper, pectoral, periophthalmodon, root., schlosseri, tree
