Mudskipper, the fish that can walk on ground !

Suppose you are walking along a river, suddenly you see a fish walking; Don't blame yourself for hallucinations !!! Fish actually can walk. Let's find out which fish is like that.

Fish- Mudskippers

There is nothing more diverse in this diverse world than the fauna. A variety of these is fish. About 30-40 thousand fish species are found in the world. Almost all fish in the world live in water all their lives. There are some rare species of fish that can live both in water and on land. Such a fish Mudskipper! 

These fish spend more time in land than in water during their life cycle. Suncheon Bay is located at the southern tip of the South Korean mainland. This place is neither a river nor an ocean. At low tide, the sea moves 8 kilometres and creates huge mudflats. Mudskippers are called the native inhabitants of these mudflats. Mudskipper fish are also found in Africa, Asia, Australia, Philippines, Samoa, Tonga Islands, tropical, subtropical and temperate regions, Indo-Pacific and Atlantic coastal regions of Africa. Some of these species live in temperate regions. About thirty-two species and ten genera of mudskippers are currently known. The smallest of these is the 'Shuttle Hopfish'.

Structure:

Due to special physical characteristics, mudskipper fish can live in soil without water, without any problems. Fish have both fins for walking in water and specialised fins for walking on land. In addition, mudskipper fish can breathe through the body's skin. Perhaps the mudskipper's most interesting feature is its ability to survive both in water and on land. Mudskippers are fish that often spend more time on land than in water. In fact they can drown if they never leave the water. Like other fish, mudskippers breathe through gills, but in addition they absorb oxygen through their skin and the lining of their mouth and throat. They are able to move over land by using their pectoral fins to propel to propel themselves forward or by making a series of skips or jumps. Another characteristic of them is that they can survive in a range of salinities. In fact, fish spend three-quarters of their lives on land. They can be up to 12 inches long. Their body color is brownish green. During the breeding season, the male mudskipper fish develop round spots of various sizes in bright colors. These colorful spots attract the male fish to the female mudskipper. The spots are usually red, green or blue in color. The large bulging eyes on the top of the mudskipper's head look more like frog eyes than fish eyes. Each eye can move independently of the other, allowing Mudskippers to see almost 360 degrees around them. Their vision in the air is excellent, but their vision in water is not so good. The most notable feature of the mudskipper's body is the pectoral fins located far forward and below their extended body. These fins are essentially what mudskippers use as legs to help them walk on land. The ability of mudskipper fish to walk is what sets them apart from other fish.

Place of residence:

They can cross mud and even climb low trees with their lower body fins. With the help of special fins they can jump up to two feet. Mudskipper fish can adapt very quickly to any environment. They do not have any particular problem during low tide. At high tide it is in water and at low tide it can easily be on clay or dry land. They dig holes in the mud and stay in it to keep themselves normal from the changing tides.

The entrance to the crater is exposed during low tide. During this time fish are found on land but enter burrows for protection from predators, to prevent desiccation, and to lay and care for their eggs. During high tide, the fish usually move back into the hole. Although they are sometimes seen resting on rocks, roots or other places while waiting for low tide. Once the water recedes the fish come out of their shelters or down from their burrows and onto the mud. Here they patrol the coast in search of food. Most mudskippers are carnivores and eat a variety of prey including insects, worms, small crustaceans  and sometimes small mudskippers. Some mudskippers also eat algae. Male fishes are quite hardworking. Usually the male mudskipper digs the hole. Reproduction process, egg hatching are all done in this hole. During the breeding season the male mudskipper emerges from the soil after preparing the burrow. After spawning, the male fish watches the eggs until they hatch. The fish hatch from the egg in the hole. In addition to food, mudskipper fish are widely used in the Chinese medicinal industry.