The fish that walks, climbs, and breathes on dry land
This is a fish that spends most of its life out of the water — walking, climbing, and even fighting on land.
The short version
The mudskipper is a fish that lives mostly out of water, using arm-like front fins to walk and climb. It breathes by holding water over its gills and absorbing oxygen through its wet skin and mouth, has independently-moving eyes on top of its head, and does push-ups to impress mates.
Why it's so weird
- ✓The Mudskipper spends most of its life out of the water, walking and climbing on dry land.
- ✓The Mudskipper uses its strong front fins like little arms to pull itself across the mud and skip surprisingly fast.
- ✓The Mudskipper breathes air by holding a mouthful of water over its gills and absorbing oxygen straight through its wet skin and mouth, almost like a frog.
- ✓The Mudskipper has eyes that sit on top of its head and move independently, giving it a nearly complete view of predators and rivals.
- ✓The Mudskipper does little push-ups and leaps into the air to impress mates and defend its muddy territory.
The full story
This is a fish, but it spends most of its life completely out of the water. Meet the mudskipper, an animal that walks, climbs, and even fights on dry land. Using its strong front fins like little arms, it pulls itself across the mudflats and can skip and hop surprisingly fast. To breathe air, it holds a mouthful of water over its gills, and it also absorbs oxygen straight through its wet skin and the lining of its mouth, almost like a frog. Its eyes sit right on top of its head and move independently, giving it a nearly complete view to spot predators and rivals. Males even do little push-ups and leap into the air to impress females and defend their muddy territory. A fish that decided the land just looked more interesting. Follow for more weird animal facts.
Watch the 45-second version
Mudskipper gallery
