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Friday, October 22, 2010

The mermaid tale of Mudskipper!



In books of comics, mermaids were shown as heroines/princesses of the tales. Mermaids have a female human body and a fish tail instead of the legs. Though their existence is fictitious only, they are compared with the mammals, Sea cows (Dugong) here. I too find an another animal resembling a mermaid.

It is a fish and it is the Mudskipper (Periophthalmus argentilineatus, Silver-lined mudskipper, Barred mudskipper). This fish has an amphibious life like that of frogs (they live both in water and on land). What is more surprising is that they can walk on the sea shore with their pectoral fins! They even jump (skip) into the air to two feet using the muscular pectoral fins. This sea fish is about 10cms in length and has protruding eyes on its head. Its skin also breathes as frog's skin does. It is found in mangroves of tropical, subtropical and temperate regions of the world. It burrows deep in muddy shore to safeguard itself and lay eggs. Small crabs and arthropods are its preys.
This Mudskipper is a wonder fish that walks on land! The existence of mermaids may become a reality and/or the origin of this mudskipper fish may be traced back, when the unexplored deep Ocean floors are searched!

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