Giant Mudskipper (Periophthalmodon schlosseri)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Periophthalmodon ("toothy Pthalmodon") schlosseri (after J. A Schlosser)

Adult Giant Mudskipper (Periophthalmodon schlosseri) at Malacca, Malaysia - July 2016

Featured Subspecies: ?
Weight: ?  /  Length: 27cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated 

The Giant Mudskipper is the largest member of it's family in the region and found on muddy shores around the region.  The mudskippers are are members of the the goby family that have specialised into being able to survive out of water for extended periods of time through a number of specialised adaptations including pectoral fins that function as primitive legs and the ability to breathe through their skin and the lining of their mouth as long as they are wet.  When the tide is high they live in muddy burrows to evade preadators.

Related Species:
Order: Perciformes
Family: Gobioidei
Genus: Periophthalmodon
SUBSPECIES: unknown

 - Sighting Locations -

MALAYSIA - Malay - Ikan Belacak Gargasi ("Giant Mud-fish")

A locally common resident.

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: Abundant near the river mouth in Malacca

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Yellow-spotted mudskipper (Periophthalmus walailakae)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Periophthalmus ("Round Eye") walailakae (after Walailak Uniersity)

Adult Yellow-spotted Mudskipper (Periophthalmus walailakae) at Sungei Buloh, Singapore - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: ?
Weight: ?  /  Length: 8-13cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated 

Another species of Mudskipper, this one smaller than the previous species I have encountered.  In the Mangroves of Sungeih Buloh, Mudskippers seemed fairly common, being a more classical habitat for them than the somewhat polluted urban shoreline of Malacca.  As with other species, they create little ponds little pools to live in before emerging at low tide.

Related Species:
Order: Perciformes
Family: Gobioidei
Genus: Periophthalmus
SUBSPECIES: unknown

 - Sighting Locations -

SINGAPORE - A local resident

 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP:Several at Sungei Buloh

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Spotted Scat (Scatophagus argus)

OTHER NAMES: Green Scat, Ruby Scat, Red Scat (colour morphs)
Latin Etymology: Scatophagus ("feces-eater") argus ("eyed" - after many eyed Mythical figure)

Adult Spotted Scat caught by free-flying Milky Stork (Scatophahus argus) at Sungei Buloh, Singapore - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: ?
Weight: ?  /  Length: 33cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Some species get latin names comparing them to mythic figures.  Some species get latin names that inaccurately describe them as eating poop.  The Spotted Scat is in a very narrow category of species for which both of these are true, which is perhaps somewhat unfair as science has never observed it practising scatophagy, although it does indeed have a very opportunistic omnivorous diet, eating pretty much anything available.  In this particular case though, it was being eaten, having been caught by one of the free flying Milky Storks from Singapore Zoo, which was struggling on how to actually eat a fish this big.

Related Species:
Order: Perciformes
Family: Scatophagidae
Genus: Scatophagus
SUBSPECIES: ? 

 - Sighting Locations -

SINGAPORE - Locally common.

 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: One at Sungei Buloh

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Banded Archerfish (Toxotes jaculatrix)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Toxotes ("archer") jaculatrix ("thrower")

Shoal of Banded Archerfish (subspecies ) at Sungei Buloh, Singapore - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: ?
Weight: 700g  /  Length: 20-30cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Archerfish are a family of species which have developed a small amount of fame due to a specific unusual talent - the ability to knock their prey into the water by spitting a high velocity globule of water at them from below, knocking them off their leaf perch into the water below where they can be rapidly devoured.  Due to this technique - able to go around 5 times their body length or more, they are found in mangroves where there is plenty of opportunity for overhanging leaves.  The fact they can perform this feat at all has some additional interesting implications - they can improve their technique from observing one another and are capable of compensating for water refraction - both not insubstantial bits of skill!

Related Species:
Order: Perciformes
Family: Toxotidae
Genus: Toxotes
SUBSPECIES: unclear 

 - Sighting Locations -

SINGAPORE - Locally common.

 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: A shoal at Sungei Buloh

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Gold-spotted Mudskipper (Periophthalmus chrysospilos)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Periophthalmus ("Round Eye") chrysospilos ("gold hair")

Adult Golden-spotted Mudskipper (Periophthalmus chrysospilos) at Malacca, Malaysia - July 2016

Featured Subspecies: ?
Weight: ?  /  Length: 6-12cm
NOT PRESENT IN UK / IUCN Red List: Least Concern 

A somewhat smaller species of mudskipper than the Giant which I saw in the same location, the golden spots being a distinctive point of identification.  It is found around the Western side of South-East asia, plus a section of the coast of India.  Apparently when the tide has risen they swim around in small shoals, although the individual I saw was on it's own.

Related Species:
Order: Perciformes
Family: Gobioidei
Genus: Periophthalmus
SUBSPECIES: ?

 - Sighting Locations -

MALAYSIA - Local name (Malay): ?

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: Some near the river mouth in Malacca

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Salema Porgy (Sarpa salpa)

OTHER NAMES: Dreamfish, Salema, Cow Bream, Goldline
Latin Etymology: Sarpa (?) salpa ("a species of fish")

Shoal of Salema Porgy (Sarpa salpa) at Syracuse, Sicily, Italy - May 2018

Featured Subspecies: ?
Weight: ?  /  Length: 15-45cm
NO OFFICIAL UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A distinctive species of fish found in the East Atlantic and the Mediterranean with a series of golden horizontal lines down the length of it's body.  It is perhaps most famous as a potentially hallucinagenic fish upon it's consumption - causing frightening visual effects for a duration of up to 36 hours, presumed to be caused by the fish feeding on particular algae or phytoplankton.

Related Species:
Order: Perciformes
Family: Sparidae
Genus: Sarpa
SUBSPECIES: ?

 - Sighting Locations -

ITALY - Italian Name: Sarpa
A locally common resident.

- SICILY 2018 TRIP - Seen at Syracuse 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Ornate Wrasse (Thalassoma pavo)

OTHER NAMES: Peacock Wrasse, Lunate-tailed Wrasse
Latin Etymology: Thalassoma ("sea body") pavo ("peacock")

Adult Ornate Wrasse (Thalassoma pavo) at Syracuse, Sicily, Italy - May 2018

Featured Subspecies: ?
Weight: ?  /  Length: 20-25cm
ABSENT FROM UK / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A colourful fish found in the waters that border Northern Africa, including around the Mediterranean.  It dwells in relative shallows - generally between 1-50m. A grazer of algaes, in addition to more omnivorous smaller prey, this species is capable of changing sexes as it gets older, with females becoming male, thus allowing for a constant supply of younger fish.

Related Species:
Order: Perciformes
Family: Labridae
Genus: Thalassoma
SUBSPECIES: ?

 - Sighting Locations -

ITALY - Italian Name: Donzella pavonina 
A locally common resident.

- SICILY 2018 TRIP - Seen at Syracuse 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .