A skip, hop and swim to the mangroves found along the Atlantic coast of Africa and you might very well happen upon the strange amphibious creature known as the mudskipper. Mudskippers are remarkable for their ability to survive in and out of water in intertidal habitats. They breathe through their skin, and when above water use air trapped in their gill chambers. Remarkably, they can spend up to three-quarters of their life on land. Although normally characterised by their brownish-green colour, male mudskippers develop bright blue, green and red spots on their skin during mating season, which they show off in an extravagant display of postures and body undulations to attract females. They are territorial, and known to scare off fellow mudskippers in battles where they attach onto opponents’ sides using their mouths. In addition to being incredible skippers - the fins on their sides allow them to leap onto trees and even climb low branches - mudskippers are also excellent architects, building their homes in burrows with vaulted ceilings that create air pockets, allowing them to breathe in conditions of very low oxygen.