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mangroves

Giant mudskippers Periophthalmodon schlosseri Family Gobiidae

The Giant mudskipper is the largest mudskipper on Chek Jawa and is found mostly in the mangroves. It is not often seen during the day. It has a black stripe down its sides. An aggressive hunter, it eats mainly prawns, small crabs and insects. It may even snack on smaller mudskippers! It builds deep tunnels in the mud as a nursery for its young.

Human uses: Giant mudskippers are eaten in some parts of the world. They are caught with nets strung at ground level, or with cast-nets.

Status and threats: The Giant mudskipper is listed among the threatened animals of Singapore.

quick facts
About 27cm long, sometimes seen in the mangroves, on tree roots or on the mudflats

See also ...
Mudskippers in general

Links
Periophthalmodon schlosseri from FishBase: Technical fact sheet on the fish
Mudskipper Mystery on Discover.com: brief story on how this mudskipper lives in oxygen-poor burrows, with large photo.

Other references

Ng, P. K. L. & Y. C. Wee, 1994. The Singapore Red Data Book: Threatened Plants and Animals of Singapore. The Nature Society (Singapore), Singapore. 343 pp.
Mastaller, Michael, 1997. Mangroves: The Forgotten Forest Between Land and Sea. Tropical Press, Malaysia, 200 pp.
Field, Colin, 1995. Journey among Mangroves. International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems, 139 pp.
Stafford-Deitsch, Jeremy, 1996. Mangrove: The Forgotten Habitat. Immel Publishing, London. 277 pp.
Ng, Peter K. L. & N. Sivasothi, 1999. A Guide to the Mangroves of Singapore II (Animal Diversity). Singapore Science Centre. 168 pp. online version
Lim, Kelvin K. P. & Jeffrey K. Y. Low, 1998. A Guide to the Common Marine Fishes of Singapore. Singapore Science Centre. 163 pp. online version

a companion website to the chek jawa guidebook website©ria tan 2003 www.wildsingapore.com

a companion website to the chek jawa guidebook
website©ria tan 2003 www.wildsingapore.com