 Mudskippers are completely amphibious fish, uniquely adapted to intertidal habitats (like mud flats and mangrove swamps). Unlike most fish in such habitats, which survive the retreat of the tide by hiding under wet seaweed or in tidal pools, mudskippers "walk" about on the mudflats, "fly" over them, conduct flashy mating rituals, and feast on the intertidal banquet of crabs, insects and protozoans. They pull their protuberant eyes completely under their skin now and again, to keep them moistened. They are found only in tropical and subtropical regions, including all the Indo-Pacific and the Atlantic coast of Africa. I emailed Gianluca Polgar, the sexy Italian zoologist who runs the wonderful website www.themudskipper.org. He suggested I start up a Canadian Mudskipper Fan Club chapter. Check out Gianluca's awesome drawings and animations of the mudskippers, and photos of his adventures and the marvellous creatures he studies. Imagine, fish walking out of the sea! Black american presidents! Massive highway projects aborted! Who'd of thunk it, what are the odds...? |
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