Krabi’s gold-spotted mudskippers flourish in absence of tourists
Numerous gold-spotted mudskippers were found on Monday (May 18) in a mangrove forest in Laem Sak sub-district, after tourist activities were suspended in Krabi province.
The gold-spotted fish in the Laem Sak mangroves are thought to be unique in Krabi, where other mangrove forests are inhabited by the more common species of mudskipper. The fish in Laem Sak range between 5 and 10 centimetres in length and are covered in colourful spots. Unlike their more common cousins, their bodies are not covered in mud, which makes the striking speckled-gold pattern easily visible.
Also setting them apart from other mudskipper species is their habit of grouping together to find food and of not fighting for territory, explained Niwat Wattanayomnaporn, a member of the Krabi Environmental and Cultural Preservation Committee.
He also said that the fish had flourished a time when their ecosystem was more fertile thanks to the suspension of tourism to curb the spread of Covid-19.