Atlantic Mudskipper

The mudskipper is one of the few fish adapted to life on land. On mudflats exposed by the tide it walks and skips using its strong pectoral fins like arms. By holding water in its gill chambers and taking in oxygen through its moist skin, it can stay out of the water for hours. It hunts insects with the large eyes on top of its head. It reaches around 15 cm. It should be kept not in a classic aquarium but in a paludarium with a land area.

• At least 150 liters of footprint for a single individual; half land and half water.
• Brackish water 10–15 cm deep: a specific gravity of 1.005–1.015 with marine salt.
• A sloping mud-and-sand shore, roots and rocks; it must stay moist at all times.
• Warm, humid air and a tight-fitting lid; it escapes and dies once it dries out.

Carnivorous. Crickets, mealworms, flies, bloodworms, krill and mysis. It mostly takes food left on the shore, out of the water.

Males are very aggressive toward each other over territory; they display by raising their dorsal fins and jumping. It hunts small creatures.

Good companions: a single-species paludarium is best; in a large space, one male and several females.

Avoid: classic aquarium fish, fully aquatic species, shrimp, a second male (in a small space).