Question

Summary of the mudskipper

Answer 1

Mudskipper is an amphibious fish, uses their pectoral fins to walk on land. The fish adapted to intertidal habitats (both high and low tide) and are very active when out of water for feeding, interaction and another and for defense they dig his own deep burrow to keep away them from any disturbances in their habitats. Some common mudskipper adopted most terrestrial habits and remains emerged for about 90% of the time [2] . Some species emerges only at night and graze on algae, to escape from predators, to avoid hypoxic conditions that develop in pools when there is very low tide. The mudskippers inhabited in mangrove swamps have a direct influence of tidal fluctuations, and at the time of any danger, they can jump into the open sea or can move rapidly onto muddy land using their strong pectoral fins [7, 8] . The common mudskipper ( Periophthalmus kalolo ) and barred mudskipper (Periophthalmus argentilineatus ) are found exclusively in mangrove habitats, ambon rock skipper ( Paralticus amboinensis ), lined rock skipper ( Istiblennius lineatus ), and streaky rock skipper ( Istiblennius dussumieri ) are more widespread in rock pools along the coastal margins and mangrove zones. The adults inhabits from the upper sub- tidal to the high intertidal zone, including tidal reaches of rivers, supratidal ecotones to freshwater swamps and diverse sympatric assemblages [9, 10, 11] . Mudskippers usually live in mixed colonies with digging crabs [12] . The fishes prefer to live in polygonal territories of about one meter, defend against enemies and search for phyto and zooplanktons [13] . They can borrow up to one and a half meters deep anywhere in their territory, sometimes right beside the walls [14] . Different species of mudskippers live in brackish to normal seawater, in swamps and estuaries, on mud flats, in intertidal habitat and in mangrove ecosystems [15] . Mudskippers are also fascinating pets due to their entertaining behavior, funny antics. All known species of mudskippers are burrowers and reasonably sedentary. Among the different species Boleophthalmus, Periophthalmodon and Periophthalmus showed territorial behavior [16] . The habit and habitat of mudskippers has a direct influence of synodic and tidal cycles and environmental factors such as temperature, relative humidity and light [17] . The mudskippers are globally distributed in mangrove ecosystems and mudflats of Africa, Madagascar, Bengal (India), Southeast Asia, Northern Australia, Southeast China, Southern Japan, Samoa and Tonga Islands, Saudi Arabia, Bay of Kuwait in the Arabian Gulf area, Polynesia and Hoga Island in Indonesia. The highest species richness reported from coastal areas of South-East Asia, Australia and New Guinea. The distribution pattern has a wide biogeographical range, from the west coast of Africa to the whole Indo-west Pacific region where Periophthalmus argentilineatus is common and widespread [18] . Periophthalmus barbarous and Periophthalmus koelreuteri is specifically distributed in Western Africa, Periophthalmus waltoni in Kuwait and northern part of Hormuz Strait (Persian Gulf) and P. cantonensis is often in southern China and south-eastern Asia The group presently includes 34 species in seven genera Scartelaos, Pseudapocryptes, Zappa, Apocryptes . The genus Periophthalmus is the most diverse and widespread genus of mudskipper. Previously it was reported that the mudskippers constitute a group of 25 air-breathing species in four genera ( Periophthalmodon, Periophthalmus, Boleophthalmus and Scartelaos, Table 1) [26] . In general the aquatic hypoxia, owing to metabolic oxygen consumption and organic decay are considered as the most important selective force in the evolution of air-breathing vertebrates. To determine more details on evolution patterns in amphibious fishes, the role of environmental and biotic factors on their behavior could be tested. Unlike the other fishes mudskipper can walk that is a question of interest that how the mudskipper evolved to have fins like the other fishes but the fins became too strong which made them able to walk on land [2] .

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