Category: Fish
This unique creature, of sometimes gargantuan proportions, is found in large rivers and estuaries in Indochina and Borneo. It can reach over 6 feet across and weigh more than 1300 pounds! They are a bottom dwelling species that prefers a sandy or muddy habitat. Its diet consists of small fish and invertebrates such as earthworms and crustaceans that it is able to detect using its electroreceptive ampullae of Lorenzini.
The fish that could drown (and other amazing tales)
Fish are masters of aquatic living, though some manage to do pretty well on land, too! Of living species, the mudskipper is probably the best adapted to life out of water - in fact, a mudskipper will drown if it can’t periodically come to the surface! This unusual fish uses its powerful, almost leg-like fins to walk on land and can even use them to “skip” up to 2 feet in the air! Similar to many amphibians, the mudskipper is able to breathe through its skin and the linings of its mouth and throat. It also seals water in its gill chambers when it leaves the water for extended stays on the land, much like a scuba diver brings air with them!-
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Discover Animals is a web-based educational resource offered by the NAIA
