Shuttles Hoppfish

Fascinating facts about the Shuttles Hoppfish

• Imagine a fish that can survive on land for 60 hours straight, as long as it stays damp, the shuttles mudskipper can wander the mudflats without a splash of water. This endurance shows how amphibious some fish really are, blurring the line between water and land life.
• A single adult stretches just 10 cm (3.9 in) from snout to tail, yet it roams the mangrove swamps from Vietnam up to Korea and Japan. Its tiny size lets it slip through narrow mud channels where larger predators cannot follow.
• Living in muddy estuaries, tidal flats, swamps, and marshes, this mudskipper thrives where fresh, brackish, and marine waters mix.

At a glance

About the Shuttles Hoppfish

The shuttles hoppfish, also known as the shuttles mudskipper (Periophthalmus modestus), is a compact amphibious fish that reaches about 10 centimetres (3.9 in) in total length. It inhabits brackish estuaries, tidal flats, swamps, and marshes from Vietnam through Korea to Japan, with populations in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and other Southeast Asian mangrove wetlands. It can remain out of water for up to 60 hours provided its skin stays moist, and it is found in the aquarium trade and used in traditional Chinese medicine.

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