Edward O. Murdy

Fishes Out of Water: Biology and ecology of mudskippers

Mudskippers, particularly species of the genus Periophthalmus, are renowned for their inter- and intraspecific interactions while out of water. Displays include those for courtship (Townsend and Tibbets 2005; Brillet 1980a) and maintaining territorial boundaries (e.g., Clayton and Vaughan 1982). Although other areas of mudskipper research have progressed (e.g., Sakamoto et al. 2015; Quan et al. 2012; Kanemori et al. 2006) since the literature was reviewed (Clayton 1993), the understanding of social behavior has not. Indeed, with few exceptions, there is little available information to distinguish between the description of territorial and courtship displays.