Barred Mudskipper

Fascinating facts about the Barred Mudskipper

• From the mangrove swamps of East Africa to Samoa, this fish spans a large coastline, proving mudskippers can thrive in both salty seas and fresh river mouths.
• When the tide recedes, it walks on mud, crossing surfaces while out of the water.
• Reaching up to 19 cm (7.5 in) TL, it is the size of a standard ruler.
• Aquarium hobbyists keep it in home tanks, where its ability to hop and breathe air makes it a novelty exhibit.
• Inside its gut, researchers have found Acanthocephalan larvae and the tiny Opegaster ouemoensis digenean, parasites first described from New Caledonia fish. These hidden hitchhikers remind us that even the most charismatic mudskippers host complex microscopic worlds.

At a glance

About the Barred Mudskipper

The barred mudskipper (Periophthalmus argentilineatus), also known as the silverlined mudskipper, can reach a total length of 19 centimetres (7.5 in). It is native to marine, fresh and brackish waters from the African coast of the Indian Ocean, through the Marianas and Samoa in the western Pacific, to the Ryukyu Islands and Australia. This species occurs in mangrove forests and nipa palm stands and can cross surfaces of mud while out of the water. It can also be found in the aquarium trade.

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