Animal Spotlight
Mudskipper
Periophthalmus barbarus
A Fish Out of Water
Wonderful creatures with some wild moves, these evolutionary wonders can walk (“crutch”), climb, and even skip across mud and land using their strong pectoral fins, earning them their quirky name. Mudskippers are also expert diggers, scooping out cozy burrows in the mud to hide from predators and harsh weather. Their large eyes are often the only thing you see poking up from below the mud as they lie in wait for food.
Spending most of their time perched on mangrove roots, mud flats, and rocks, these land-loving fish can survive outside of water by breathing air through their skin like amphibians. On land, they can seal their gill chambers tightly to hold in moisture.
Habitat
Mudflats, mangrove forests, lagoons, estuaries, and swamps in the Indo-Pacific, from Africa to Polynesia and Australia
Diet
Insects, worms, small fish, and small crustaceans
Predators
Various mammals, snakes, shorebirds, larger fish, and water snakes
Conservation Status
Least concern
Phylum
Chordata
Meet the Neighbors
Mudskippers share their home in the MORPH’D gallery with an array of intriguing creatures, from the colorful poison dart frogs to the popular electric eel, and peculiar paddlefish.
Paddlefish
Boneless, scaleless fish that can grow to be up to 7 feet long and weigh as much as 200 pounds.
Cherry Shrimp
Tiny social decapods with a knack for recycling and the ability to look good doing it.
Poison Dart Frog
Bright, bold, and toxic, poison dart frogs use a little bit of color to make a big statement.
Electric Eel
Learn about these long, snake-like fish that are shockingly not considered true eels at all.
Ready to Visit?
From the colorful to the camouflaged, the slightly slimy to the super smooth, each animal in MORPH’D presented by PAR® tells a story of survival.