NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Mudskipper

Mudskippers are members of the subfamily Oxudercinae (tribe: Periophthalmini^[1]), within the family Gobiidae (Gobies). While most marine fish that live in intertidal habitats survive the retreat of the tide by hiding under wet seaweed or by using tide pools, mudskippers are uniquely adapted to a completely amphibious lifestyle.^[2] Mudskippers are found only in tropical and subtropical regions, having a geographical distribution that includes all the Indo-Pacific and the Atlantic coast of Africa. Mudskippers are quite active when out of water, feeding and interacting with one another, for example to defend their territories. Mudskippers are members of the subfamily Oxudercinae (tribe: Periophthalmini; Murdy, 1989), within the family Gobiidae (Gobies). ... In biology, a tribe is a taxonomic classification in between family and genus. ... The hierarchy of scientific classification In biological classification, family (Latin: familia, plural familiae) is a rank, or a taxon in that rank. ... Genera Many, e. ... Subfamilies Amblyopinae Gobiinae Gobionellinae Oxudercinae Sicydiinae See also list of Gobiidae genera The gobies form the family Gobiidae, which is one of the largest families of fish, with more than 2,000 species in more than 200 genera. ... It has been suggested that Intertidal ecology, Foreshore and Littoral be merged into this article or section. ... Habitat (which is Latin for it inhabits) is the place where a particular species live and grow. ... Ascophyllum nodosum exposed to the sun in Nova Scotia, Canada Dead Mans Fingers (Codium fragile) off Massachusetts coast For the Marine Biology Summer internship Marine Algae by Friday Harbor Laboratories, see; Marine Algae For the band, see; Seaweed (band) For the rock musician, see; Seaweed (musician) Seaweeds are any... A tide pool on Gabriola Island, British Columbia showing ochre sea stars Tide pools (also tidal pools or rock pools) are rocky pools by oceans that are filled with seawater. ... The tropics are the geographic region of the Earth centered on the equator and limited in latitude by the two tropics: the Tropic of Cancer in the north and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere. ... Subtropical (or semitropical) areas are those adjacent to the tropics, usually roughly defined as the ranges 23. ... In ethology, sociobiology and behavioral ecology, the term territory refers to any geographical area that an animal of a particular species consistently defends against conspecifics (and, occasionally, animals of other species). ...

Compared with fully aquatic gobies, these fish present a range of peculiar behavioural and physiological adaptations to an amphibious lifestyle. These include: A biological adaptation is an anatomical structure, physiological process or behavioral trait of an organism that has evolved over a period of time by the process of natural selection such that it increases the expected long-term reproductive success of the organism. ...

Even when their burrow is submerged, mudskippers maintain an air pocket inside it, which allows them to breathe in conditions of very low oxygen concentration.^[7]^[8]^[9] Human heart and lungs, from an older edition of Grays Anatomy. ... Ethology is the scientific study of animal behaviour (particularly of social animals such as primates and canids), and is a branch of zoology. ... The mucous membranes (or mucosa) are linings of ectodermic origin, covered in epithelium, that line various body cavities and internal organs. ... The pharynx (plural: pharynges) is the part of the neck and throat situated immediately posterior to the mouth and nasal cavity, and cranial, or superior, to the esophagus, larynx, and trachea. ... For other uses, see Amphibian (disambiguation). ... Thermoregulation is the ability of an organism to keep its body temperature within certain boundaries, even when temperature surrounding is very different. ... â€œEbb tideâ€ redirects here. ... Image File history File links Periophthalmus_gracilis. ... Image File history File links Periophthalmus_gracilis. ...

The genus Periophthalmus is by far the most diverse and widespread genus of mudskipper. Seventeen species have been currently described.^[10] Periophthalmus argentilineatus is one of the most widespread and well known mudskippers. This species can be found in mangrove ecosystems and mudflats of East Africa and Madagascar east through South East Asia to Northern Australia, Southeast China and Southern Japan, up to Samoa and Tonga Islands.^[1] It grows to a SO I HEARD YOU LEIK MUDKIPZ length of about 6 in (15 cm) and is a carnivorous opportunist feeder. It feeds on small prey such as small crabs and other arthropods.^[11] Another species, Periophthalmus barbarus, is the only oxudercine goby that inhabits the coastal areas of Western Africa (Murdy, 1989). Both these mudskippers are widely traded as aquarium fish. For other uses, see Genus (disambiguation). ... Above and below water view at the edge of the mangal. ... Mudflats are relatively flat, muddy regions found in intertidal areas. ... This article deals with meat-eating animals. ... Subphyla and Classes Subphylum Trilobitomorpha Trilobita - Trilobites (extinct) Subphylum Chelicerata Arachnida - Spiders, Scorpions, etc. ...

References

^ ^a ^b Murdy, E. O. (1989). "A Taxonomic Revision and Cladistic Analysis of the Oxudercine Gobies (Gobiidae: Oxudercinae)". Records of the Australian Museum Suppl. N°11: 1–93.
^ ^a ^b (1997) in Graham, J. B. (ed.): Air–breathing Fishes. Evolution, Diversity and Adaptation. San Diego California: Academic Press.
^ Harris, V.A. (1961). "On the locomotion of the mudskipper Periophthalmus koelreuteri (Pallas): Gobiidae". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 134: 107–135.
^ Tytler P. & Vaughan T. (1983). "Thermal Ecology of the Mudskippers Periophthalmus koelreuteri (Pallas) and Boleophthalmus boddaerti (Pallas), of Kuwait Bay". Journal of Fish Biology 23 (3): 327–337.
^ Sasekumar, A.; Chong, V.C.; Lim, K.H. & Singh, H.R. (1994). "The Fish Community of Matang Mangrove Waters, Malaysia". Sudara, S.; Wilkinson, C.R.; Chou, L.M. (eds) Proceedings, Third ASEAN-Australia Symposium on Living Coastal Resources. Research papers: Vol. 2: 457-464, Bangkok, Thailand: Chulalonghorn University.
^ Brillet, C. (1969). "Etude du comportement constructeur des poissons amphibies Periophthalmidae". Terre et la Vie 23 (4): 496–520.
^ Ishimatsu A., Hishida Y., Takita T., Kanda T., Oikawa S., Takeda T. & Khoo K.H. (1998). "Mudskipper Store Air in Their Burrows". Nature 391: 237–238.
^ Ishimatsu A., Takeda T., Kanda T., Oikawa S. & Khoo K.H. (2000). "Burrow environment of mudskippers in Malaysia". Journal of Bioscience 11 (1,2): 17–28.
^ Lee H.J., Martinez C.A., Hertzberg K.J., Hamilton A.L. & Graham J.B. (2005). "Burrow air phase maintenance and respiration by the mudskipper Scartelaos histophorus (Gobiidae: Oxudercinae)". The Journal of Experimental Biology 208: 169–177.
^ Larson H.K. & Takita T. (2005). "Two new species of Periophthalmus (Teleostei: Gobiidae: Oxudercinae) from northern Australia, and a re-diagnosis of Periophthalmus novaeguineaensis". The Beagle, Records of the Museums and SO I HEARD YOU LEIK MUDKIPZ Art Galleries of the Northern Territory 20: 175–185.
^ Milward, N. E. (1974). Studies on the taxonomy, ecology and physiology of Queensland mudskippers, unpubl. Ph D. dissertation, Univ. Of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

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