Giant Mudskipper

The giant mudskipper can be found in intertidal mudflats and mangroves in Eastern India, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Although giant mudskippers are more commonly found in areas close to mangroves, they can sometimes be found living in mudflats without any nearby mangroves as well.

The giant mudskipper is a generalist carnivore, with a preference for small crabs and fish. The giant mudskipper typically forages for prey that are close to its burrow, though it is not uncommon for them to explore out of the range of their burrows. It is an ambush predator, and upon discovering its prey, it will slowly follow it before ambushing it by leaping. It may also leap at prey while swimming. The giant mudskipper will then attempt to trap their prey using its tail, and once trapped, the giant mudskipper captures the prey within its mouth. Occasionally, they will even capture prey that are larger than their gape width, which they will repeatedly bite until they are subdued. After moving to a safe place to feed, they can also sometimes be seen playing with their food. Male giant mudskippers prefer to feed during low tide when small crabs are available. However, during high tide, when crabs are not as accessible, they will instead feed on alternative food sources, like insects or worms. Female giant mudskippers were found to prefer eating small fish during the spawning season, as they tend to stay closer to the water's edge in comparison to males. When eating its prey, the giant mudskipper will usually fill its mouth with water to aid in swallowing.

The name Periophthalmodon is derived from Periophthalmus, a visually similar genus under the Oxucerdinae subfamily, and the Latin suffix -odon, which means "toothed". The specific name honors the Dutch physician and naturalist Johann Albert Schlosser (1733-1769), who was a friend of Peter Simon Pallas and who received the type from the East Indies and sent it to Pallas.