Scartelaos histophorus (Valenciennes, 1837)
Walking goby
Scartelaos histophorus
photo by Nip, T.

Family:  Oxudercidae (Mudskippers), subfamily: Periophthalminae
Max. size:  14 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  demersal; brackish; marine, amphidromous
Distribution:  Indo-West Pacific: ranges from Pakistan to Japan and Australia. Known from the freshwater tidal zone of the Mekong (Ref. 12693).
Diagnosis:  Distinguished by the following characteristics: prominent barbel on ventral midline near symphysis of lower jaw; upper jaw teeth 19-31; head depth 10.1-12.4% SL ; caudal fin length 18.5-25.1 % SL ; length of D 1 base 5.7-7.5% SL; 4-7 vertical, narrow, bluish grey bars on trunk; no large, black spots or stripes basally on posterior half of D2; D2 and anal fins connected by membrane to caudal fin (Ref. 5218).
Biology:  An intertidal species (Ref. 31184) found on sand and mud flats along bay shores. Also in estuarine areas, swamps, marshy areas and on tidal mud flats (Ref. 5258). Also found in the freshwater tidal zone (Ref. 12693). Actively shuttling back and forth between rock pools and air (Ref. 31184). Feeds on algae and harpacticoids, chromodorids and nematodes (Ref. 92840). Amphibious air-breather (Ref. 31184).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 20 June 2017 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless
Country info:   
 


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