Mudskippers

Mudskippers keep a personal water supply in enlarged gill chambers that seal shut like a built-in scuba tank, letting them breathe through skin and the lining of the mouth and throat once out of water — genuinely amphibious in a way almost no other fish manages. They haul themselves across mud flats using stiff, muscular pectoral fins like a pair of makeshift legs, and males stake out territory with dramatic dorsal-fin-flaring displays performed entirely out of water.

Care level: Moderate · Temperament: Semi-aggressive · Max size: ~5" · Min habitat: Paludarium with land + brackish water · Diet: Carnivore, insects + meaty foods