Teleostei (teleosts) >
Gobiiformes (Gobies) >
Oxudercidae (Mudskippers) > Periophthalminae
Etymology: Periophthalmus: Greek, peri = around + Greek, ophthalmos = eye (Ref. 45335).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; brackish; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 2 m. Tropical; 30°N - 20°S
Indo-Pacific: East Africa to Samoa.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 14.1 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 7050)
Dorsal spines (total): 8 - 16; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10 - 12; Anal spines: 1; Anal soft rays: 9 - 11. Differs from P. argentilineatus by lacking thin silvery bars ventrally on the sides and having pelvic fins connected at the base by a low membrane (Ref. 37816); further characterized by: frenum of pelvic fins vestigial, but visible macroscopically; pelvic fins united by membrane for about one half their length; D1 height moderate, its margin rounded, black stripe inframarginally with numerous white spots proximally, no elongate spines; D2 with single dusky stripe inframarginally; dorsal fins not connected by membrane; D1 with 11-15 spines; longitudinal scale count 66-86; head width 16.5-22.5% SL; pelvic fin length 13.1-15.4% SL; length of anal fin base 15.9-18.7% SL; length ofD2 base 18.5-23.8% SL; total D2 elements 12-13; total analfin elements 11-12; TRDB 18-22 (Ref. 5218).
Body shape (shape guide): fusiform / normal; Cross section: circular.
Facultative air-breathing (Ref. 126274); Amphibious air-breather (Ref. 31184) that spends most of its time out of the water; able to meet its oxygen requirements as long as it stays wet. Typically resting on mud, rocks, or mangrove roots with their tails dipped in the water. Active at low tide and hunt in the intertidal zone for invertebrates; feeds on worms, crustaceans, and insects as well as polychaetes living on or near surface (Ref. 92840)
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Murdy, E.O., 1989. A taxonomic revision and cladistic analysis of the oxudercine gobies (Gobiidae: Oxudercinae). Rec. Aust. Mus., Suppl. 11:1-93. (Ref. 5218)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
Tools
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 26.1 - 29.3, mean 28.6 °C (based on 1953 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01096 (0.00514 - 0.02340), b=2.97 (2.79 - 3.15), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this Genus-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.3 ±0.40 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
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Nutrients (Ref.
124155): Calcium = 101 [50, 213] mg/100g; Iron = 0.707 [0.341, 1.334] mg/100g; Protein = 18.9 [17.0, 20.6] %; Omega3 = 0.117 [0.050, 0.233] g/100g; Selenium = 12.3 [6.0, 25.4] μg/100g; VitaminA = 137 [35, 497] μg/100g; Zinc = 2.15 [1.40, 3.27] mg/100g (wet weight);
