Mudskippers (Gobiidae: Oxudercinae): ecology and evolution along the water edge, and possible use as a biomonitor of tropical intertidal areas

Mudskippers (Gobiidae: Oxudercinae) are highly amphibious and closely related tropical gobies. Systematic, anatomical and physiological studies suggest that they increasingly adapted to semiterrestrial life throughout their evolution. Their physiological adaptations match ecological definitions based on environmental conditions of their habitats. Observations also suggest that synecological factors may be key selective agents. In this respect, recent palaeoecological and palaeontological findings suggest that mudskippers may help to understand some of the factors and processes that defined the scenario of the Devonian vertebrate eco-evolutionary transition. Mudskippers are also proposed as a biomonitor of the health and integrity of highly endangered mangrove and tropical tidal flat ecosystems, as suggested by their differential distribution along the intertidal zone. This also identifies them as possible flag species.