About Boleophthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus, 1758)
Boleophthalmus pectinirostris individuals are predominantly greenish-grey, with distinct sky blue speckles covering their entire body, including their fins and the skin beneath their eyes. They can reach a maximum length of 7 inches (18 cm). This species lives in warm tropical and subtropical estuaries, and its confirmed distribution includes Peninsular Malaysia, eastern Malaysia, Sumatra (Indonesia), China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan. It is a euryhaline species that can tolerate a wide range of salinity levels. It favors muddy habitats near river mouths and mangroves, which provide suitable substrate for burrowing. Its presence in Malaysia and Sumatra was only confirmed in 2009; in this region, it lives in sympatry with Boleophthalmus boddarti. Before 2009, populations of this species in the area were incorrectly identified as Boleophthalmus dussumieri, another congener related to both B. boddarti and B. pectinirostris. Boleophthalmus pectinirostris has culinary significance in Japan, where it is fished in areas with particularly large populations. The main fishing grounds are the Ariake Sea and Yatsushiro Sea, located in Saga Prefecture and Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu. A local cooking method for this fish involves grilling it whole over charcoal while basting it during cooking.
