The Fish That Skips Mud

A mudskipper can leap distances of up to 61 centimetres.

Mudskippers are amphibious fish found across the Indo-Pacific and Atlantic Africa.

The genus Periophthalmus is the most diverse, with 18 described species.

Male mudskippers develop brightly coloured spots during mating seasons.

Protruding eyes sit high on the flat head of this mudskipper.

Mudskippers blink by lowering their eyes under a rising membrane.

Jointed pectoral fins act like limbs for crawling on mangrove mudflats.

Pectoral fins allow the mudskipper to skip across muddy surfaces.

Enlarged gill chambers retain an air bubble for breathing on land.

Wet skin absorbs oxygen directly, much like an amphibian does.

Deep burrows dug in soft sediment provide shelter during high tide.

Some species maintain air pockets inside submerged burrows for breathing.

Males guard hundreds of eggs laid inside the vaulted burrow.

Mudskippers can grow up to 30 centimetres long.