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What the sources say

Atlantic MudskipperPeriophthalmus barbarus

Every figure, record and mechanism on the Atlantic Mudskipper profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 57 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

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Source
01

Diouf et al. 2020

Diouf et al. (2020). Periophthalmus barbarus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T182285A21913503.

The page saysThe IUCN Red List rates it Least Concern
The source saysIUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC).Note: Category read through GBIF's copy of the Red List (taxon 182285); the claim quotes the cached category text.

Source
02

Aiello et al. 2023

Aiello et al. (2023). The origin of blinking in both mudskippers and tetrapods is linked to life on land. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The page saysA West African fish that blinks on land and hunts crabs and insects on the mud.
The source saysregularly blink on land, both bilaterally and unilaterallyNote: tagline; West Africa and the crab and insect diet are claimed separately below
The page saysblinks on land
The source saysregularly blink on land, both bilaterally and unilaterallyNote: tagline
The page saysBlinks on land, in about 560 ms
The source saysThe duration of spontaneous blinks ranged from 480 to 700 ms with a mean duration of 560 ± 73 ms (mean ± SD)Note: stats.superpower
The page saysabout the length of a human blink
The source saysThis duration is approximately the same as the spontaneous blink of humans, which is 572 ± 25 msNote: stats.superpower
The page sayswhich fits the idea that a blink keeps the eye wet
The source saysThese results are consistent with the hypothesis that eye wetting is one function of mudskipper blinking.Note: body
The page saysMudskippers have not evolved new muscles or glands for blinking.
The source saysmudskippers have not evolved novel musculature or glands to blinkNote: body
The page saysabout the same as a human's 572 ms
The source saysThis duration is approximately the same as the spontaneous blink of humans, which is 572 ± 25 msNote: blockquote
The page saysResearchers filming adults found that it blinks regularly on land and blinked more often when the air was drying out its eyes.
The source saysP. barbarus blinks more often under high-evaporation conditions to wet the eyeNote: FAQ
The page saysMost tetrapods, the four-limbed vertebrates, blink.
The source saysMost tetrapods blink, closing their eyes periodically with eyelids or a nictitating membraneNote: body; tetrapod glossed in prose
The page saysMudskippers are fish that evolved blinking separately
The source saysmudskippers (Oxudercinae), a clade of amphibious fishes that have convergently evolved blinkingNote: convergently = separately from tetrapods
The page saysthe Atlantic mudskipper does it on land
The source saysregularly blink on land, both bilaterally and unilaterallyNote: body
The page saysTo blink, it pulls its eye down into a space below the eye socket while a membrane called the dermal cup rises.
The source saysmudskippers blink by ventrally retracting the eye into an infraorbital space in conjunction with dorsal elevation of the dermal cup membraneNote: infraorbital = below the orbit
The page saysWhen researchers raised the evaporation rate in its tank about 30 times, the fish blinked more often
The source sayswe increased the air flow through the tank, which resulted in an evaporation rate approximately 30 times greater than in ambient control conditionsNote: body
The page saysthe fish blinked more often
The source saysP. barbarus showed a significantly lower interblink interval (IBI), or the time between successive blinks of an eye, as compared to controlNote: body
The page saysA single blink can also fully clean the cornea, the clear front of the eye, of particles.
The source saysa single blink can fully clean the cornea of particulatesNote: cornea glossed in prose
The page saysTwelve spontaneous blinks from four mudskippers
The source saysWe collected three-dimensional blinking kinematics in four individuals of P. barbarus (12 blinks total, three blinks per individual)Note: blockquote
The page sayslasted 480 to 700 ms, averaging 560 ms
The source saysThe duration of spontaneous blinks ranged from 480 to 700 ms with a mean duration of 560 ± 73 msNote: blockquote
The page saysThe Atlantic mudskipper does. Researchers filming adults found that it blinks regularly on land
The source saysThe Indian mudskipper, Periophthalmodon septemradiatus, and the African mudskipper, Periophthalmus barbarus, regularly blink on landNote: FAQ
The page saysfilming adults
The source saysAdult individuals of each species were housed in tanks that allowed for free movement between water and land.Note: FAQ

Source
03

Michel, Aerts & Van Wassenbergh 2016

Michel, Aerts & Van Wassenbergh (2016). Environment-dependent prey capture in the Atlantic mudskipper (Periophthalmus barbarus). Biology Open.

The page saysthe fish feeds mostly on land
The source saysfeeds predominately in this environmentNote: body; the sentence names the terrestrial environment
The page saysAquatic vertebrates generally feed by sucking water into the mouth.
The source saysAquatic vertebrates generally use suction of water into the mouthNote: body
The page saysmeasured from the snout to the end of the backbone
The source saysThe standard length (measured from the snout tip to the posterior end of the last vertebra)Note: definition of SL
The page saysOn land the mudskipper uses what researchers call a hydrodynamic tongue
The source saysa hydrodynamic tongue, such as we find in the mudskippers when feeding on landNote: body
The page sayswater in its mouth flows forward as the mouth opens and helps it feed
The source saysGiven the considerable forward flow of water observed during the mouth-opening phase to assist with feeding on landNote: body
The page saysOn land it raises and then drops the floor of its mouth, a movement kept from the way it uses water in its mouth underwater.
The source saysthe elevation followed by depression of the floor of the mouth by means of the hyoid skeleton as exhibited on land, is retained from a behaviour in which intra-oral water is used in the aquatic environmentNote: body
The page saysJust before it feeds in water its gill slits open
The source saysPrior to feeding in the aquatic environment, the gill slits open, allowing water to be expelled through the gill slits.Note: body
The page sayson land they stay closed
The source saysThe opposite happens in terrestrial feeding during which the gill slits remain closed at this point.Note: body

Source
04

Kuciel 2012

Kuciel (2012). The mechanism of olfactory organ ventilation in Periophthalmus barbarus (Gobiidae, Oxudercinae). Zoomorphology.

The page saysIt can also hold a little water and air in its mouth while out of the water, with the gill lid shut.
The source saysthe ability to keep a little amount of water and air in mouth while on land or in hypoxic water, correlated with closing a gill lidNote: body

Source
05

Chukwu & Deekae 2011

Chukwu & Deekae (2011). Length-weight relationship, condition factor and size composition of Periophthalmus barbarus (Linneaus 1766 ) in New Calabar River, Nigeria. Agriculture and Biology Journal of North America.

The page saysOver a year of trapping in Nigeria's New Calabar River, 1,572 fish
The source saysconsisting of 1572 samples over a period of twelve months (February 2008- January 2009) in New Calabar River NigeriaNote: body; caught in traps
The page says1,572 fish of 4.1 to 14.2 cm total length weighed 0.70 to 39.62 g
The source saysshowed the length range 4.1cm-14.2cm, and weight from 0.70g- 39.62gNote: body; lengths are total length (methods); 1,572 is claimed by the sample-size claim
The page saystotal length
The source saysMeasurements were carried out for total length (TL) using a measuring boardNote: body
The page saysOver a year of trapping
The source saysThe fish was caught using traps made from bamboo.Note: body
The page saysAbout 11 g on average, in a year-long sample of 1,572 wild fish trapped in a Nigerian river.
The source saysweight of 0.70-39.62g mean (11.16±7.29)Note: FAQ; 11.16 rounded to about 11; 1,572 is claimed by the next claim
The page saysa year-long sample of 1,572 wild fish trapped in a Nigerian river
The source saysconsisting of 1572 samples over a period of twelve months (February 2008- January 2009) in New Calabar River NigeriaNote: FAQ
The page saysThe heaviest of them weighed under 40 g.
The source saysweight from 0.70g- 39.62gNote: FAQ; 39.62 g is the top of the weight range, so the heaviest fish, and under 40
The page saysweightKg: 0.011
The source saysweight from 0.70g- 39.62gNote: battleStats.weightKg, mean 11.16 g over 1,572 fish

Source
06

FishBase

Periophthalmus barbarus (Linnaeus, 1766), Atlantic mudskipper. FishBase.

The page sayshunts crabs and insects on the mud
The source saysAdult feed chiefly on arthropods (crabs, insects, etc.) of the mud surface.Note: tagline
The page saysWest African
The source saysAfrica: West-African coast, from Senegal to AngolaNote: tagline
The page saysMuddy ground and brackish estuaries, lagoons and mangrove swamps along the West African coast
The source saysFound on muddy substrates and in brackish waters of estuaries, lagoons and mangrove swampsNote: stats.habitat
The page saysalong the West African coast
The source saysAfrica: West-African coast, from Senegal to AngolaNote: stats.habitat
The page saysChiefly arthropods such as crabs and insects from the mud surface
The source saysAdult feed chiefly on arthropods (crabs, insects, etc.) of the mud surface.Note: stats.diet
The page saysits eyes bulge out close together
The source saysEyes protruding and close together with lower eyelid foldNote: body
The page saysAdults feed chiefly on arthropods from the mud surface, such as crabs and insects
The source saysAdult feed chiefly on arthropods (crabs, insects, etc.) of the mud surface.Note: body
The page saysIts range is the West African coast from Senegal to Angola.
The source saysAfrica: West-African coast, from Senegal to AngolaNote: body
The page saysit spawns in burrows
The source saysSpawn in burrows (Ref. 3657 )Note: body
The page saysassessed in 2019
The source saysLeast Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 20 October 2019Note: year
The page saysFishBase lists a maximum of 14.7 cm standard length.
The source saysMax length : 14.7 cm SL male/unsexedNote: FAQ
The page saysReports of fish up to 250 mm long are probably other species, it says.
The source saysreports of larger specimens, up to 250 mm TL, are probably misidentifications of other speciesNote: FAQ
The page saysThe mudskipper is an amphibious air-breather that skips or walks across sand and mud in search of food.
The source saysAmphibious air-breather (Ref. 31184 ) that skips or walks on sand or mud in search of foodNote: body
The page saysIts pectoral fins have a long muscular lobe
The source saysPectoral fins with a long muscular lobeNote: body
The page saysFishBase gives a maximum length of 14.7 cm standard length
The source saysMax length : 14.7 cm SL male/unsexedNote: body
The page saysa length at first maturity of about 9.6 cm
The source saysLength at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age Maturity: L m 9.6Note: body
The page saysIt lives on muddy ground in brackish estuaries, lagoons and mangrove swamps
The source saysFound on muddy substrates and in brackish waters of estuaries, lagoons and mangrove swampsNote: body
The page saysAlong West Africa's Atlantic shore, between Senegal and Angola.
The source saysAfrica: West-African coast, from Senegal to AngolaNote: FAQ
The page saysIt turns up in freshwater now and then, but always close to the shore.
The source saysOccasionally found in freshwater, but always close to the shoreNote: FAQ
The page saysThe Atlantic mudskipper skips or walks across sand and mud in search of food
The source saysAmphibious air-breather (Ref. 31184 ) that skips or walks on sand or mud in search of foodNote: vibe.reason

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.