Fish in a Tree
Written By Adelaide Keller
Written By Adelaide Keller
Have you ever heard of a fish that can climb trees? Yes, there is such a thing. These fish are called mudskippers, and live in swamps, mudflats, and estuaries in Asia, Africa, and Australia. They have a special sucker on their underbelly that allows them to grip onto the tree. These creatures can also “walk” on land, by pulling themselves along with their strong pectoral fins. Not only can they climb and walk, mudskippers are great jumpers - some can even jump to as high as two feet.
You may be wondering how these odd little fish can breathe out of the water. Other fish would quickly suffocate on land, but mudskippers, much like amphibians, can breathe through their skin, as long as it’s moist. They also trap air bubbles in their gill chambers to use for air, and have special linings on their mouths and throats to breathe through. Once the tide rolls back, the fish go back into the water, and start using their gills once again.
Mudskippers eat a diet of worms, insects, crustaceans, and other small animals. During low tide they come out on the shore to look for these creatures. Their special eyes, set near the top of the head, see better on land than in water. Each moves independently from the other, but both need to keep a lookout for predators along with prey.
While on land, some mudskippers can also dig themselves burrows, by using their mouths as shovels. These burrows serve as places to hide from hungry predators, such as shorebirds, snakes, and some mammals. Mudskippers are highly territorial animals, and will sometimes fight over land. During these fights they raise their fins and open their mouths to frighten their opponent while jumping and wrestling. The fight isn’t over until one fish turns and leaves.
These odd creatures aren’t your average fish, they are different and fascinating in so many more ways.
A mudskipper climbing a mangrove root in a swamp in Australia.
Works Cited
Kranking, Kathy. "Fish Out of Water." Ranger Rick, 2020, pp. 32-35.
Mudskipper. Photography. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016.quest.eb.com/search/139_1918312/1/139_1918312/cite. Accessed 20 Dec 2020.
"Mudskipper." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 21 May. 2015. school.eb.com/levels/high/article/mudskipper/54140. Accessed 20 Dec. 2020.
You may be wondering how these odd little fish can breathe out of the water. Other fish would quickly suffocate on land, but mudskippers, much like amphibians, can breathe through their skin, as long as it’s moist. They also trap air bubbles in their gill chambers to use for air, and have special linings on their mouths and throats to breathe through. Once the tide rolls back, the fish go back into the water, and start using their gills once again.
Mudskippers eat a diet of worms, insects, crustaceans, and other small animals. During low tide they come out on the shore to look for these creatures. Their special eyes, set near the top of the head, see better on land than in water. Each moves independently from the other, but both need to keep a lookout for predators along with prey.
While on land, some mudskippers can also dig themselves burrows, by using their mouths as shovels. These burrows serve as places to hide from hungry predators, such as shorebirds, snakes, and some mammals. Mudskippers are highly territorial animals, and will sometimes fight over land. During these fights they raise their fins and open their mouths to frighten their opponent while jumping and wrestling. The fight isn’t over until one fish turns and leaves.
These odd creatures aren’t your average fish, they are different and fascinating in so many more ways.
A mudskipper climbing a mangrove root in a swamp in Australia.
Works Cited
Kranking, Kathy. "Fish Out of Water." Ranger Rick, 2020, pp. 32-35.
Mudskipper. Photography. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016.quest.eb.com/search/139_1918312/1/139_1918312/cite. Accessed 20 Dec 2020.
"Mudskipper." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 21 May. 2015. school.eb.com/levels/high/article/mudskipper/54140. Accessed 20 Dec. 2020.