A Comparative Study of Terrestrial Adaptations of the Gills in Three Mudskippers—<i>Periophthalmus chrysospilos, Boleophthalmus boddaerti</i>, and<i>Periophthalmodon schlosseri</i>

Abstract

The three mudskippers—Periophthalmus chrysospilos, Boleophthalmus boddaerti, and Periophthalmodon schlosseri—occupy the same macrohabitat in Singapore but have different behaviors. Correlations were made between differences in behavior and morphological adaptations of their gills to tolerate terrestrial exposure.P. schlosseri has branched gill filaments, thick gill rods, and fused secondary lamellae which enable them to better adapt to a terrestrial than an aquatic environment. Of the three mudskippers, P. chrysospilos gills are the shortest. They are also bent and poorly developed for aquatic respiration. B. boddaerti gills consist of numerous long filaments and have the largest gill area of the three mudskippers. These features suggest that B. boddaerti gills function more efficiently as a respiratory organ in water than in air.Gill surfaces of all three mudskippers are highly convoluted to increase surface area.