MUD-SKIPPERS {Peyiopkthalmiis KcclretUcri) 



These extraordinary little fishes (about five inches long), of 

 which a typical species is figured, are native to the shores of the 

 Indian Ocean, and spend a large part of their time out of water, 

 hunting for prey between tide-marks, chiefly on rocks and man- 

 grove roots. They can hop along very quickly, largely aided by their 

 well-developed front fins. Mud-skippers can not only breathe air 

 dissolved in water by means of gills (and also the thin skin of their 

 tails), but also damp air. The gill-cavities open to the exterior by 

 very small apertures, which protect the gills from being dried up. 

 These organs do not fill the cavities in which they are contained, 

 and it is probal^le that the lining of the gill-chambers acts like a 

 sort of lung. It has also been demonstrated that the eyes of these 

 fishes are equally efficient in and out of water, a very unusual 

 character among members of their class. 



