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FishBrackishIntermediate

Pearse's Mudskipper

Periophthalmus novemradiatus

This extraordinary amphibious mudskipper spends most of its time out of water. Highly territorial, it requires a specialized brackish aquaterrarium with ample land area and a live carnivorous diet.

Taxonomy

Class:Actinopteri

Order:Perciformes

Family:Gobiidae

Subfamily:Oxudercinae

Genus:Periophthalmus

Species:Periophthalmus novemradiatus

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Water Temperature

23 - 28 °C

pH Value

7.5 - 8.5

Water type

Brackish

Tank level

Bottom

Adult size

10 cm

Minimum tank volume

>= 100 L

Minimum group

>= 1

Species description

Geographical Origin and Habitat: This species is native to the coastal regions of the Indo-West Pacific, including India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. It inhabits tidal mudflats, estuaries, and brackish mangrove swamps, adapting to air exposure.

Taxonomy and Morphology: Classified under the family Gobiidae and subfamily Oxudercinae. Features muscular pectoral fins used for walking on land, elevated eyes on top of the head for aerial vision, and specialized gill chambers to breathe moist air.

Social Behavior: Highly territorial and aggressive toward conspecifics. Individuals establish territories on mudbanks and dig deep burrows in the mud. Spawning males engage in jumping displays to attract females.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: The body displays a cryptic greyish-brown coloration with darker spots and bands. The first dorsal fin is dark with a light margin. Males are larger and exhibit more intense dorsal fin displays.

Care, breeding and tankmates

Aquarium Setup: Must be kept in a specialized paludarium with a brackish aquatic zone and a large land area made of sand, mud, or flat rocks. Provide driftwood and mangrove roots above the water level for climbing.

Diet and Feeding: Strictly carnivorous. Prefers to hunt on land. Feed live food such as small crickets, fruit flies (Drosophila), small earthworms, brine shrimp, and bloodworms. They rarely accept dry commercial foods.

Water Quality: Requires brackish water with a specific gravity of 1.005 to 1.015. Maintain water and air temperatures between 24.0 and 28.0 °C, with a pH of 7.5 to 8.2. High air humidity is absolutely vital to prevent skin desiccation.

Compatibility and Cohabitation: Best kept in a species-only setup. Keeping multiple individuals requires a very large tank with visual barriers to reduce territorial battles. Do not house with small fishes or crabs.

Aquarium Breeding: Spawning in home aquariums is exceptionally rare. In nature, they spawn inside complex mud burrows where the male guards the eggs and provides air to the nest chamber.

Risks and Diseases: Primary risks include escape (they can climb glass easily) and skin drying due to low humidity. Open wounds from fighting are prone to bacterial infections. A secure, sealed cover is mandatory.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

This species is native to the coastal regions of the Indo-West Pacific, including India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. It inhabits tidal mudflats, estuaries, and brackish mangrove swamps, adapting to air exposure.

Origin

Tropical oceans and reefsSouth and Southeast Asia

Fish profile

Temperament: Semi-aggressive
Diet: Carnivore
Sex ratio: Solitary
Feeding frequency: Twice daily
Bioload: They have a relatively low bioload. They spend much of their time out of the water. Small local filtration in the water section is usually enough.
Flow: Strong
Jump risk: Yes
Reproduction: Oviparous
Compatibility & tankmates: Species only
Tank level: Bottom

FishBase

Window to the official scientific data of the species

Data synced on: 06/15/2026

Scientific Parameters & Models

Trophic level: 3.2 ± 0.4 se
Resilience: High (less than 15 months)
Phylogenetic uniqueness (PD50): 0.5
Bayesian Length-Weight: a = 0.01072, b = 2.92

Image gallery

Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.

Related species

Recommendations grouped by close relatives, companion choices, and similar care.

Variants and close relatives

Same atlas type, nearby scientific identity, genus, or family.

Barred Mudskipper

Periophthalmus argentilineatus

Species description

Care, breeding and tankmates