Friday, November 13, 2015

MudSkippers and Mangroves

Mudskippers are fascinating fish. They spend more time skipping and flipping around in the dense mud than in the water. Their front fins are elongated for 'walking' on land and they can breath through their skin as long as it remains damp. They can also retain water in their gills to help breath out of water. Once they used up all the oxygen in the water, they need to replace it with fresh supply.

When defending their territories, mudskippers display their dorsal fins and push each other around with their open mouths.

Shown: Blue-spotted mudskipper (Boleophthalmus boddarti) This particular species is very common in mangrove communities in India's west coast and Southeast Asia.


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ABOUT THE ARTIST

Amanda Zimmerman is a scientific illustrator. She has done work for Project Seagrass in 
the United Kingdom and Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, PA.  She is currently writing and illustrating a book on mangroves. To receive updates about
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