South Africa country information

Common names: Bigfin mudhopper, Grootvin-modderspringer
Occurrence: native
Salinity: brackish
Abundance: | Ref:
Importance: | Ref:
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: | Ref:
Uses: no uses
Comments: Occurs in Natal (Ref. 2334) and Transkei. Also Ref. 5218.
National Checklist:
Country Information: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/sf.html
National Fisheries Authority:
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Hoese, D.F., 1986
National Database:

Common names from other countries

Mudskipper, Silverstripe mudskipper, Mud-skipper goby, ... more

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Gobiiformes (Gobies) > Oxudercidae (Mudskippers) > Periophthalminae
Etymology: Periophthalmus: Greek, peri = around + Greek, ophthalmos = eye (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Valenciennes.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; freshwater; brackish; reef-associated; amphidromous (Ref. 46888); depth range 0 - 1 m (Ref. 86942). Tropical

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Indo-Pacific: along East African coast, from Zululand in South Africa northwards to the Red Sea and most of West Indian Ocean islands (Ref. 4756); further east to the Marianas and Samoa; north to Ryukyu Islands, south to western Australia and Oceania (Ref. 2334).

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m 5.0 range ? - ? cm
Max length : 19.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4756)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 12 - 18; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9 - 12; Anal spines: 1; Anal soft rays: 8 - 11. Diagnosis: Distinguished by the following characteristics: pelvic fins lacking frenum; little or no membrane uniting medial most pelvic rays; first dorsal fin height moderate, its margin usually convex, occasionally straight, with a black stripe inframarginally and numerous small, white spots posteriorly on fin, no elongate spines; second dorsal fin with single, dusky stripe mesially; dorsal fins not connected by membrane; first dorsal fin with 11-16 spines; longitudinal scale count 64-100; head width 14.3-22.6% of standard length; pelvic fin length 11.3-15.2% of standard length; length of anal fin base 14.0-19.4% of standard length; length of second dorsal-fin base 17.6-23.7% of standard length; total D2 elements 10-13; total anal fin elements 9-12; TRDB 18-26 (Ref. 5218).

Facultative air-breathing (Ref. 126274); A resident intertidal species with homing behavior (Ref. 32612, 48637) and amphibious air-breather (Ref. 31184, 79840), found in brackish mud flats in mangrove and nipa palm areas. Found in both littoral and estuarine; able to climb out of water, in mangrove swamps and burrowing into intertidal mud banks (Ref. 4756). Occasionally in the lower parts of freshwater streams (Ref. 2847, 44894, 48637, 79840). Actively shuttling back and forth between rock pools and air (Ref. 31184). It feeds on worms, crustaceans, and insects (Ref. 37816). Can stay out of the water for up to 37 h if kept moist (Ref. 51276).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Murdy, E.O., 1989. A taxonomic revision and cladistic analysis of the oxudercine gobies (Gobiidae: Oxudercinae). Rec. Aust. Mus., Suppl. 11:1-93. (Ref. 5218)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 20 June 2017

CITES (Ref. 128078)

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: of no interest; aquarium: commercial

FAO(Publication : search) | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 115969): 24.2 - 29.3, mean 28.4 (based on 2897 cells).

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01072 (0.00495 - 0.02318), b=2.97 (2.79 - 3.15), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this Genus-body shape (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 3.3 ±0.40 se; based on food items.

Resilience (Ref. 120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).

Periophthalmus argentilineatus Valenciennes, 1837