''Scartelaos histophorus'', commonly known as the walking goby, is a species of fish in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Oxudercidae Oxudercidae is a family of gobies which consists of four subfamilies which were formerly classified under the family Gobiidae. The family is sometimes called the Gobionellidae, but Oxudercidae has priority. The species in this family have a cosmo ...

. This species is notable for its unique ability to "walk" on land, using its

pectoral fins Fins are moving appendages protruding from the body of fish that interact with water to generate thrust and help the fish swim. Apart from the tail or caudal fin, fish fins have no direct connection with the back bone and are supported only b ...

to propel itself forwards. Walking gobies are typically found in shallow coastal waters, such as

mudflat Mudflats or mud flats, also known as tidal flats or, in Ireland, slob or slobs, are coastal wetlands that form in intertidal areas where sediments have been deposited by tides or rivers. A global analysis published in 2019 suggested that tidal ...

estuaries An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environm ...

, and

mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows mainly in coastal saline water, saline or brackish water. Mangroves grow in an equatorial climate, typically along coastlines and tidal rivers. They have particular adaptations to take in extra oxygen a ...

areas, in the Indo-Pacific region. ''Scartelaos histophorus'' ability to move on land helps it to migrate between different

tidal pools A tide pool or rock pool is a shallow pool of seawater that forms on the rocky intertidal shore. These pools typically range from a few inches to a few feet deep and a few feet across. Many of these pools exist as separate bodies of water only ...

and avoid predators in their aquatic environment. This behavior is part of a broader adaptation to fluctuating environments, where the fish may need to move between water bodies when the tide goes out. Walking gobies can also breathe air, which further aids in their survival in low-oxygen environments.

References

Mudskippers Fish described in 1837 {{Oxudercidae-stub