Species Fact Profile: Atlantic Mudskipper (Periopthalmus barbarus)

Atlantic Mudskipper

Periophthalmus barbarus (Linnaeus, 1766)

Range: West Africa

Habitat: Tidal Flats, Mangrove Forests.  Brackish water, with some tolerance for freshwater

Diet: Worms, Insects, Small Fish, Crustaceans

Social Grouping: Solitary, Territorial

Reproduction:  Sexual maturity reached at about 10 centimeters in length.  Breeding takes place year round, usually March-May.  Mating takes place in burrows, where the female deposits thousands of eggs.  The male guards the eggs after the female leaves.  Eggs hatch into larvae which drift in open water for 30-50 days.  Juveniles hide in the mud until they are large enough to establish territories

Lifespan: 5 Years

      Conservation Status: IUCN Least Concern

• Can grow up to 16 centimeters long.  Tadpole-shaped body.  Eyes are very large and protruding on the top of the head.   
• Best known for its ability to leave water and crawl on land.  The body is covered with scales which are in turn covered with a layer of mucous, which helps the fish retain moisture.  A pair of pectoral fins allows the fish to 'skip' along on land, traveling from one body to water to another.  Sometimes seen perched on logs above water
• Olive green coloration with light blue spotting, dorsal fins (which can stand erect) are bright blue
• Capable of storing water within their gill chambers, allowing them to breathe out of water; also capable of breathing through the skin
• Emerge to forage during low tides; during high tides, they hide in their burrows, which may be 1.5 meters long
• Feed by creating suction by opening their mouths suddenly while lunging, sucking in small animals.  Hunt from ambush positions
• Still common in the wild, but in decline due to overfishing (both for food, bait, and as pets), as well as pollution (their absorbent skin soaks up contaminants easily)
• Not currently bred under human care, due in part to difficulty in replicating their natural reproduction with burrows