Not furry, but we like them anyway.

Atlantic Mudskipper

Periophthalmus barbarus

Also called West African mudskipper, Periophthalmus koelreuteri (older name), Periophthalmus papilio (older name)

SpeciesShort profile

From Tropical West Africa, from Senegal or Mauritania south to Angola including offshore islands, on muddy tidal flats, lagoons and mangrove swamps1 2 3

At a glance the quick version

Length15 to 25 cm1 2 3

Lifespan5 to 15 years3

Sizesmall

A fish that walks, skips and climbs out of water

Frog-like face with eyes that see all round

Endlessly entertaining to watch

2 3

Looks how to spot one

Amphibious goby

A stocky goby with a large head and bulging eyes set high on top, giving it a frog-like face. Its muscular pectoral fins work like little crutches on land, and its pelvic fins act as a sucker. The body is brownish grey, plain or sprinkled with small white spots.2 3

Coloursbrown to olive greysmall white or pale spots3

Personality what they are like

Bold, alert and territorial. Males in particular defend their patch with displays, and the species tends to be greedy and enthusiastic at feeding time.2 3

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Spends much of its time out of the water, hopping across mud and sand, climbing onto roots and basking. It needs both a land area and a water area to behave naturally.2 3 1

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Keep warm and humid: about 25 to 30 C with brackish water around SG 1.005, pH 7.0 to 8.5 and hard water. A tight lid holds in humidity so the air stays as warm as the water, and a good filter handles its messy eating.2 1

Home where they are happiest

A paludarium-style tank of at least 120 x 30 x 30 cm (about 110 litres) for one fish, with exposed sandbanks or partly submerged bogwood so it can climb out of the water.2

Food basics what goes in the bowl

A carnivore that hunts crabs, insects and other small animals on the mud. Offer live worms, crickets, frozen bloodworm and brine shrimp; Seriously Fish advises against relying on dried food.1 3 2

Company who they like around

Usually kept as a single male, as they are territorial with their own kind; groups of five or more can work in very large setups. Can share with other brackish species such as archerfish or four-eyed fish but may eat small fish.2

The story where it all began

Linnaeus described the Atlantic mudskipper in 1766. It is the mudskipper of Africa's Atlantic coast, where it is also caught in small local fisheries, and it is available in the aquarium hobby as one of the best-known amphibious fish.1

Fun facts for the dinner table

1
It keeps water in sealed gill chambers and also takes in oxygen through its skin, letting it breathe on land.3
2
It digs burrows that can reach about 1.5 metres deep, with trapped air pockets, for shelter and spawning.3
3
It builds low walls of mud around its territory.3
4
When feeding on land it uses a mouthful of water like a tongue to suck in prey.3
5
Its eyes sit high on the head and can swivel independently for an all-round view.2

Recognised by the official bits

IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 2019)1

The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you

A typical home-care rhythm for a Atlantic Mudskipper. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.

FeedingSmall amounts once or twice a dayevery day
Temperature checkevery day
Salinity checkBrackish fish need a little marine salt, and some need more as they growevery week
Water changeAbout 25% of the water, mixed to the same salinityevery week
Water testevery week
Filter rinseRinse in old tank water, never tap waterevery month

Start a free diary

Violet Goby

Banded Archerfish

Knight Goby

our little thank-you jar

Like what we are building? Buy us a coffee.

The breed atlas is free for everyone, with a source on every fact, and it will never show ads. If it helped you, a small tip keeps the research going. Any amount is lovely, and no is a perfectly fine answer too.

Leave a tip

Where this comes from

Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

FishBase: Periophthalmus barbarus, Atlantic mudskipper fishbase.seused for size, environment, temperature, distribution, IUCN status, diet, describer
Seriously Fish: Periophthalmus barbarus seriouslyfish.comused for distribution, size, water parameters, tank setup, diet, compatibility
Wikipedia: Atlantic mudskipper en.wikipedia.orgused for size, lifespan, appearance, breathing, burrows, fun facts

Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.