Biogenic Activities of mudskipper in the Recent Intertidal Mud Flats along the Qeshm Island Coast, south of Iran

Behavioral activities of the mudskipper were observed in the intertidal zone around Qeshm island Coast, south of Iran. Intertidal zone is broad, and comprise of creeks, muddy flat and vegetated by mangro veudy area which are hospitable for the mudskippers. Different types of biogenic activities are observed such as crawling, pellet making, grazing and burrowing. The crawling activity is part of movement of the mudskipper from one burrow to another burrow and pellet making activity is part of burrow modification. The grazing activity is feeding on the surface mud after receding of tide and exposure of the tidal flat by left and right movement of the front part of the body. In the muddy sediments mudskipper produced circular to oval rimmed muddy lumps as surface expression around the burrows and further produced funnel shape depression and downward extended cylindrical holes, while in the runnels burrows are usually small and simple. In all, behavioral structure produced by the mudskipper marks the combined activity of dwelling, feeding and grazing.