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| fishes text index | photo index |
| Phylum Chordata > Subphylum Vertebrate > fishes > Family Gobiidae > mudskippers |
| Bearded
mudskipper Scartelaos histophorus Family Gobiidae updated May 09 Where seen? This long mudskipper is often seen at Pasir Ris and Chek Jawa. Its preferred habitat is soft liquid mud where it often squirms rapidly in a snake-like manner. According to FishBase it is intertidal and found on sand and mud flats along bay shores. Also in estuarine areas, swamps, marshy areas and on tidal mud flats. It actively shuttles back and forth between rock pools and air. Features: To about 14cm long, those seen about 7-10cm. Scales are tiny and partly embedded and thus not visible with the naked eye. The skin on the top of the head and on the back is full of blood vessels allowing the fish to respire through the skin. The first dorsal fin is tall and mast-like and it is used to display. This mudskipper is sometimes seen leaping 'on the spot', hurling itself almost vertically and appearing to stand on its tail! It is believed to be part of the courtship ritual of the male mudskipper! As it leaps, it spreads out its pectoral fins, and the second portion of its dorsal fin. The tall, mast-like first dorsal fin is not raised when leaping. |
 Chek Jawa, Oct 09 |
 Leaping next to a smaller fish. Chek Jawa, Dec 09 |
 Chek Jawa, Dec 09 |
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 Chek Jawa, Dec 09 |
 Chek Jawa, Dec 09 |
 Tall flag-like dorsal fin not raised when leaping. Chek Jawa, Jan 10 |
Bearded mudskippers on Singapore shores
 Pasir Ris, Jul 09 |
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more photos of beaded mudskippers on Singapore shores
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