Fishes Out of Water

Mudskippers are excellent model organisms for comparative physiological and morphological studies on terrestrial adaptations. This book should appeal to a broad range of students, researchers, and professionals in ichthyology, evolution, ecology, animal behavior, and comparative physiology.

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Mudskippers are amphibious fishes native to the Indo-West Pacific and tropical western Africa. Unlike most fishes, mudskippers emerse to forage, find mates, and defend territories. Adaptations to their morphology, physiology and behavior enable mudskippers to accommodate both aquatic and terrestrial habitats. For these traits, mudskippers have long captured the fascination of scientists, naturalists, and fish hobbyists. Some mudskipper taxa (e.g. Periophthalmodon spp., Periophthalmus spp., Boleophthalmus spp.) are readily observed on mudflats and mangrove forests during the ebb tide. Correspondingly, these conspicuous and widespread taxa are relatively well-studied. The autecology and basic biology for the remaing taxa (e.g. Apocryptodon spp. and Oxuderces spp.) are still poorly understood.

Fishes Out of Water: Biology and Ecology of Mudskippers is the first comprehensive book to synthesize published scientific information and observation on these fishes. Two dozen subject experts present thorough overviews in fifteen distinct chapters. Contents span mudskipper anatomy, distribution, systematics, physiology, ecology, and conservation. Unique adaptations to terrestriality are discussed within the context of each chapter foci.

This authoritative reference equips the reader with the basic foundation to understand mudskipper biology and ecology, while providing a framework in which emerging data are discussed. The book will be of interest to a broad range of students, researchers, and professionals in ichthyology, evolution, ecology, animal behavior, and comparative physiology.