If you are thinking of remarkable fish, the mudskipper must be one of the first to spring to mind. Not only are they able to breathe air, they can also walk on land! Mudskippers are found along intertidal zones living on the margin of land and sea. They have special adaptations to help them dominate a habitat which few other animals can exploit: soft mud with fluctuating water quantities and qualities.

Underwater, mudskippers breathe through gills like other fishes. However, unlike most other fish, mudskippers can’t stay underwater indefinitely. To survive on land, mudskippers can retain water in enlarged gill chambers which lock shut on land. They rotate their eyes to swill the water in the gill chambers around and keep the gills fluffed up and oxygenated. But these critters have more options to acquire oxygen. They can absorb gaseous oxygen through blood-rich membranes at the back of the mouth and throat (buccopharyngeal cavity). They also absorb air through their skin which is rich with blood capillaries, so long as the skin remains moist.Regarding the walking abilities of these fish, mudskippers have arm-like pectoral fins which even have little “elbows”. But they do not move these alternately in the way that we walk. Instead they make little hops by keeping their body rigid and jerking forwards on their pectoral fins.Mudskippers have even more adaptations to life on land. A distinctive feature of mudskippers are their huge goggly eyes at the top of their heads. These eyes sit on stalks and periscope above the water, while the rest of their bodies remain safely underwater. Unlike other fishes, mudskippers prefer to swim with their heads above water, their eyes giving them a good 360 degree view. Fascinating …