How to care for Mudskipper

Water Conditions

Brackish
• pH 7.0 — 8.0,
•SG 1.015—1.020
Artificial sea salt should be used to achieve the desired salinity.

Temperature

Mudskippers prefer a temperature of between 24 °C and 28°C

Distribution

Found in tropical and sub-tropical waters along the northern coast of Australia as well as in India and West Africa, Mudskippers are able to live on land as well as in water, and can be
frequently found in mangrove swamps.

Feeding

Mudskippers enjoy Live Worm, and can also be successfully trained to eat frozen worm and Freeze-Dried Black Worm.

Size

The maximum size generally seen is up to 18cm

Housing

Mudskippers are able to leave the water, so take care to provide them with a large, shallow tank with some soft sand and plenty of mangrove roots where they can rest. As their skin needs to be moist, ensure that the air in the tank is humid.

Compatibility


Mudskippers fare well with other brackish species such as the Archer Fish, Mono Argent and even Mollies.

Behaviour
Mudskippers can be territorial and will raise and lower their dorsal fins in aggressive displays. Keeping too many in one tank can lead to fights, often to the death. Compared with fully aquatic gobies, these fish present a range of peculiar behavioural and physiological adaptations to an amphibious lifestyle. These include an ability to move effectively on land as well as in the water. As their name implies these fish use their fins to move around in a series of skips. They can also flip their muscular body to catapult themselves up to 60 cm into the air.

They also have the ability to breathe through their skin and the lining of their mouth and throat. This is only possible when the mudskipper is wet, limiting mudskippers to humid habitats and requiring that they keep themselves moist. This mode of breathing, similar to that employed by amphibians, is known as cutaneous air breathing. Another important adaptation that aids breathing while out of water are their enlarged gill chambers, where they retain a bubble of air. These large gill chambers close tightly when the fish is above water, keeping the gills moist, and allowing them to function. They act like a scuba diver's cylinders, and supply oxygen for respiration also while on land.