Apocryptes Apocryptodon Boleophthalmus Oxuderces Parapocryptes Periophthalmodon Periophthalmus Pseudapocryptes Scartelaos Zappa Mudskippers are any of the 23 extant species of amphibious fish from the subfamily Oxudercinae of the goby family Oxudercidae.

[2] They are known for their unusual body shapes, preferences for semiaquatic habitats, limited terrestrial locomotion and jumping, and the ability to survive prolonged periods of time both in and out of water.

During mating seasons, the males will also develop brightly coloured spots in order to attract females, which can be red, green or blue.

Although having the typical body form of any other gobiid fish, these front fins allow the mudskipper to actively "skip" across muddy surfaces (hence the common name) and even climb low-hanging tree branches and scrubs.

[4] Mudskippers can be defined as oxudercine gobies that are "fully terrestrial for some portion of the daily cycle" (character 24 in Murdy, 1989[3]).

Once the male has completed digging his burrow he will resurface and will begin attempting to attract a female through assorted yet typical displays.

Once the female has made her choice she will then proceed to follow the male into the burrow where she will lay hundreds of eggs and allow them to be fertilized.

[citation needed] Compared with fully aquatic gobies, these specialised fish present a range of anatomical and ethological adaptations that allow them to move effectively on land as well as in the water.

[16] When the burrow is submerged, several mudskipper species maintain an air pocket inside it, which allows them to breathe in conditions of very low oxygen concentration.

[17][18][19] To reduce toxic ammonia production, mudskippers can suppress amino acid breakdown when exposed to air.

Rather than having specialized glands to produce eye lubricant, the fluid film on their cornea is likely composed of mucus secreted by their skin and water from their environment, possibly stored in the infraorbital space behind the dermal cup membrane.

[27] However, a recent molecular study suggests that P. argentilineatus is in fact a complex of species, with at least three separate lineages, one in East Africa, and two in the Indo-Malayan region.