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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
Range
Asia: Australia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Cambodia, China, Taiwan/Ch Taipei and others
Edibility
Commonly eaten

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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. Asia: Australia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Cambodia, China, Taiwan/Ch Taipei and others

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. This species is harmless to humans. No specific first aid is needed. Still handle the fish with care: mind the fin rays and the sharp edges of the gill cover, and rinse any scratch with clean water and cover it. For a dirty or deep wound check tetanus status.

Is the Walking goby edible?

Yes, the Walking goby is commonly eaten.

More photos

Walking goby (Scartelaos histophorus) — Gobiidae — 2
Dubravka Skalamera (CC BY-NC 4.0) via GBIF — iNaturalist
Walking goby (Scartelaos histophorus) — Gobiidae — 3
iNaturalist ((c) Jiayuan Lin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
Walking goby (Scartelaos histophorus) — Gobiidae — 4
Wikimedia Commons — George Henry Ford (Public domain)
Walking goby (Scartelaos histophorus) — Gobiidae — 5
iNaturalist ((c) Lachlan, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
Fin

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All data

Identification

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
Natural range
Asia: Australia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Cambodia, China, Taiwan/Ch Taipei and others sourced
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore inferred
Diet (detail)
Small fishes, crustaceans and invertebrates inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred
Seasonality
Present year-round in its habitat; no pronounced seasonality known. inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten inferred
Fishing method
Small in size and barely an angling target; mostly caught incidentally or as baitfish. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified
First aid
This species is harmless to humans. No specific first aid is needed. Still handle the fish with care: mind the fin rays and the sharp edges of the gill cover, and rinse any scratch with clean water and cover it. For a dirty or deep wound check tetanus status. verified

Status & sources

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

More from the family Gobiidae

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