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Walking goby (Scartelaos histophorus) — Gobiidae

Walking goby

Scartelaos histophorus
Family: Gobiidae

The Walking goby (Scartelaos histophorus) is a brackish-water fish of the family Gobiidae that grows up to 14 cm.

Length
14 cm
Water
Brackish
Diet
Carnivore
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The walking goby is a mudskipper (Oxudercidae) from tidal areas of the Indo-West Pacific. The species grows to about 17 cm and has a slender, blue-grey body with fine spots, eyes set high on the head and sturdy pectoral fins with which it crawls and skips over the mud. At low tide it stays active on the exposed flats and snaps at algae, small crustaceans and worms; males raise a high dorsal fin in courtship display. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Walking goby?

The Walking goby has an elongate, eel-like body, is mainly blue and shows a spots pattern.

Where does the Walking goby live?

The Walking goby lives in brackish water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Walking goby get?

The Walking goby grows to a maximum of about 14 cm.

Is the Walking goby dangerous to humans?

No, the Walking goby is harmless to humans.

Is the Walking goby edible?

Yes, the Walking goby is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Blauwe slijkspringer sourced
English name
Walking goby sourced
Scientific name
Scartelaos histophorus
Family
Gobiidae
Other names
Bearded goby; Bearded mudskipper; Blue mud-hopper; Goby; Walking goby verified

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
14.0 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Blue sourced
Pattern
Spots sourced
Tail shape
Rounded inferred
Mouth position
Superior (upward) sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Brackish sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten inferred
Fishing method
Klein van stuk en nauwelijks een hengelsportdoel; wordt vooral incidenteel of als aasvis gevangen. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

More from the family Gobiidae

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