Name: Barred mudskipper
Scientific Name: Periophthalmus argentilineatus (Valenciennes, 1837)
Family: Gobiidae
Group: Bony fish
Class: Fish
Size: 26-50 cm.
The barred mudskipper is a fish that spends long periods exposed to the air, skipping along on the mud and even climbing trees in the mangroves where it lives. Its body is adapted so that it can survive and move out of water. Its gills function as a water reserve, which means it can continue breathing, even out of water. Its pectoral fins are elongated and flattened so it can stop or ‘brake' in the mud, and its pelvic fins are fused, forming a sucker that helps it climb the branches of trees. Its eyes move independently of each other, so that they can simultaneously look in opposite directions in order to better observe the surrounding environment!
Photo by:
Abílio Leitão
Oceanário Location
Mangrove forest
