Rockskippers: Part fish, part slug, all slime
June 28, 2070
Recently, I was called to a village outside my ward to investigate an infestation of rockskippers. For those of you unfamiliar with this unique creature, they look like a flying fish mated with a slug. They use their fins to hop across rocks, but also slide on sand like a gastropod. I wish I’d had more time to study the rockskippers because I believe, despite appearances, they are probably more closely related to frogs than to fish or slugs. But that’s just a theory from watching them breath on dry land as well as in the water. They seem to absorb oxygen through their skin, enabling them to stay submerged for long periods of time. The “fins” that they use to climb onto beaches could actually be underdeveloped legs.
Another interesting feature of the rockskipper is the false mouth on the front of its bulbous head. It gives them a big, happy grinning appearance. Kind of cute really, if you’re into the whole slime thing. Their real mouths are under their bodies, where they gobble up mites and other tiny creatures in the sand and they ooze across them.
I haven’t figured out the purpose of the bright red spot on their backs. An amphibian version of mating plumage?
I love the way they sit like a ball of pudding in your hand. They do leave a distinct rotton fruit smell in their wake. And I’ve been told they aren’t good to eat, kind of a rancid taste, but I’m sure someone, somewhere would find them a delicacy.
I wasn’t able to bring one home as a specimen, but I’d love to hear if anyone else has come across this species and how you deal with them in large quantities.
Comments (3)
We get them in the spring sometimes. Not good for much other than bait.
Homesteadfast981 (June 28, 2070)
Such a wonderful diverse world we live in. Terra bless us all.
Iansoflife (June 29, 2070)
A little bit of garlic butter and I’m sure they’d slide right down the gullet.
Baxterboy42 (June 29, 2070)