All rights reserved by the author

31 October 2026

Most fish depend entirely on water. Yet the mudskipper seems to have negotiated a different arrangement with its environment.

Found in tropical and subtropical coastal regions, including mangrove swamps and tidal mudflats, mudskippers spend much of their time outside the water. They move across wet surfaces using their strong pectoral fins, which help them push and pull themselves along the mud.

Their eyes sit high on their heads, allowing them to watch their surroundings while much of the body remains close to the ground. They can also breathe through their skin and the lining of their mouth and throat, provided these surfaces remain moist.

At low tide, they may be seen hopping between mud pools, defending territories or searching for small invertebrates to eat. Some species even climb roots and low branches.

Their life depends on a delicate balance: they can remain out of water, but they cannot simply abandon moisture. Their behaviour is an adaptation to a habitat where tides repeatedly change the boundary between land and sea.

The mudskipper is a reminder that nature does not always respect the categories we create. A fish need not remain submerged every moment to live successfully as a fish.

Rajat Chandra Sarmah, Guwahati, Assam, India, Instagram @rajatchandrasarmah, YouTube: conversewithasmile, email rajatchandrasarmah@gmail.com