mudskipper

Everyday

A small fish that lives on muddy shores and in mangrove swamps and can come out of the water, skipping and crawling on the mud with its strong front fins. tree →

In the lessons

In science and nature lessons the mudskipper is a famous example of an animal between water and land: it breathes partly through its skin and keeps water in its gill chambers. It helps pupils think about adaptation and how fish might once have moved onto land. It lives in warm places such as Africa, Asia and northern Australia.

Examples

• The mudskipper hopped across the mud at low tide. tree →
• A mudskipper can stay out of water for a long time. tree →
• Mudskippers have eyes on top of their heads, like little periscopes. tree →
• We watched a nature show about mudskippers in the mangroves. tree →
• The male mudskipper jumps high to impress a female. tree →
• Is a mudskipper a fish or a frog? It is a fish! tree →

Note

Countable: a mudskipper, mudskippers. One word. It is a real fish, not an amphibian, even though it spends much time on land. Myth: it does not have lungs; it keeps damp to breathe.