Giant Mudskipper (Periophthalmodon schlosseri)
 |
| A Giant Mudskipper emerging from its burrow in Pasir Ris Park's mangroves. (Photograph by: Lumin Ong) |
Family: Oxudercidae (Subfamily Oxudercinae - Mudskippers)
Species Name: Periophthalmodon schlosseri
Common Name(s): Giant Mudskipper
Common Name(s): Giant Mudskipper
Presence in Singapore: Native
Habitat: Coastal: muddy mangrove swamps and mudflats.
Conservation status: Least Concern (Red Data Book 3)
This is the largest mudskipper seen in Singapore and one of the largest in the entire world for it can reach almost 30cm in length. Due to its sheer size and abundance in the right habitats, it is also the most often seen mudskipper in Singapore as it is hard to miss. It is easily recognizable via a dark, horizontal stripe that runs along the sides of its body starting from the eyes. It is also peppered with light blue spots towards the bottom half of its body.
The Giant Mudskipper is carnivorous, possessing impressive fangs for its kind. It preys on smaller fishes, crustaceans and have even been known to eat reptiles such as snakes. They have been observed digging for burrowing prey such as eels. This highly territorial species chases other individuals that get too close.
The Giant Mudskipper inhabits mangrove swamps where the substrate is muddy and can even be found further out on open mudflats. They dig large burrows marked by a round pool visible at low tide, where the mudskipper usually sits in. In mated pairs, both the male and female help to maintain the burrow These pools are usually shelter to smaller mangrove fishes such as their goby cousins during low tide (see Ong & Tay, 2024), which are often too small for the mudskipper to bother about. They can be seen waiting out the high tide on mangrove roots and other elevated surfaces.
References
Habitat: Coastal: muddy mangrove swamps and mudflats.
Conservation status: Least Concern (Red Data Book 3)
This is the largest mudskipper seen in Singapore and one of the largest in the entire world for it can reach almost 30cm in length. Due to its sheer size and abundance in the right habitats, it is also the most often seen mudskipper in Singapore as it is hard to miss. It is easily recognizable via a dark, horizontal stripe that runs along the sides of its body starting from the eyes. It is also peppered with light blue spots towards the bottom half of its body.
The Giant Mudskipper is carnivorous, possessing impressive fangs for its kind. It preys on smaller fishes, crustaceans and have even been known to eat reptiles such as snakes. They have been observed digging for burrowing prey such as eels. This highly territorial species chases other individuals that get too close.
The Giant Mudskipper inhabits mangrove swamps where the substrate is muddy and can even be found further out on open mudflats. They dig large burrows marked by a round pool visible at low tide, where the mudskipper usually sits in. In mated pairs, both the male and female help to maintain the burrow These pools are usually shelter to smaller mangrove fishes such as their goby cousins during low tide (see Ong & Tay, 2024), which are often too small for the mudskipper to bother about. They can be seen waiting out the high tide on mangrove roots and other elevated surfaces.
 |
| A Giant Mudskipper hard at work digging in Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. (Photograph by: Lumin Ong) |
 |
| A young Giant Mudskipper taking shelter on a rock during high tide. (Photograph by: Lumin Ong) |
References
- FishBase. Periophthalmodon schlosseri (Pallas, 1770) – Giant Mudskipper. Retrieved from https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Periophthalmodon-schlosseri
- Lim, K.K.P. & Low, J.K.Y. 1998. A Guide to Common Marine Fishes of Singapore. Singapore Science Centre, 163 pp. ISBN 981-00-9904-5.
- National Parks Board (NParks). Marine Fishes. Retrieved from https://www.nparks.gov.sg/nature/species-list/marine-fishes.
- Ong JXL & Tay JX (2024) Biodiversity Record: Fish fauna of a mangrove tide pool at Sungei Buloh. Nature in Singapore, 17: e2024056. DOI: 10.26107/NIS-2024-0056
No comments:
Post a Comment