Boleophthalmus pectinirostris (or 'Great Blue-spotted Mudskipper) tends to occur in open habitats in mangrove systems, such as seaward mudflats, and sparsely covered parts of the back-mangrove.

Similar in appearance to the closely-related Blue-spotted Mudskipper, this species is most easily identified in the field by the fine blue spots on the front dorsal fin, and by the arrangement of hyphen-like blue spots on the second dorsal fin, which are neatly arranged in vertical and horizontal lines. Dark bands are often visible on the flanks, and in some populations the skin below the eye is pale blue.

This species is farmed and consumed in parts of the Far East (China, Japan). In 2009 the species was confirmed in parts of Peninsular Malaysia and Indonesia. The image at left was taken on the north coast of Borneo, and the other images on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia.


 

Fig 1 : Adult specimen in a shallow, back-mangrove pool at Bako National Park, Sarawak, Borneo.

Figs 2 to 4 :  Adult on estuarine mudflats near the mouth of Sungei Sedili, Johor, Peninsular Malaysia.

Order : Perciformes
Family : GOBIIDAE
Species : Boleophthalmus pectinirostris
Maximum Length : 15 cm

Thanks to Gianluca Polgar for assistance in identification.

Links : The Mudskipper.org