Scientists have discovered that mudskipper fish, which live in or near the water but feed on land, use water retained in their mouths as a “hydrodynamic tongue” to help grab prey; the research was conducted to learn more about the evolutionary event where some fish became walking land creatures.
An examination of mudskipper fish eating habits could provide insight into how the first water vertebrates evolved into land animals 350 to 400 million years ago.
While previous research had focused largely on skeletal adaptations, especially the formation of legs, a new focus was placed on the eating process since it is equally critical for survival.
Scientists chose to study the feeding habits of the mudskipper fish&
