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The Mudskipper Fish Out of Water

7th grade nonfiction passage about mudskippers on tidal flats: 242 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

7th grade nonfiction mudskippers on tidal flats 242 words

The Mudskipper Fish Out of Water

At low tide, the muddy shores of tropical coasts in Africa, Asia and Australia fill with an odd sight: fish that are walking. These animals are mudskippers, and they spend much of their lives out of the water.

A mudskipper moves by propping itself on its strong front fins, which are shaped like short arms, and dragging its body forward. A quick flick of the tail can also send it skipping across the mud. High on its head are two eyes that rise like periscopes, which let it keep watch for birds and other enemies while its body stays low. They also move independently, so the fish can scan in several directions at once.

The greatest challenge for any fish on land is breathing. Mudskippers solve it by taking in oxygen through their skin and the inside of their mouth and throat, but these surfaces work only while they stay wet. For that reason, a mudskipper must keep its skin damp. It rolls in shallow puddles, and it also keeps a small supply of water tucked inside its gill chambers to refresh itself.

Mudskippers also tunnel into the mud. A burrow gives a safe place to hide, to lay eggs and to wait out the high tide. Males defend their patch of mud, and they leap and raise their fins to impress rivals and mates. In an environment where most fish would be stranded and helpless, the mudskipper has learned to thrive.

Questions

  1. Where do mudskippers live? in the text

  2. How does a mudskipper move across the mud? in the text

  3. Why are the mudskipper's eyes on top of its head helpful? in the text

  4. What do mudskippers use their burrows for? in the text

  5. Why must a mudskipper keep its skin damp? think about it

  6. Why does the writer say that most fish would be stranded on the mud? think about it

Words to know

tropical
in the hot, wet regions near the equator
periscopes
tubes with mirrors that let you see over a barrier
independently
separately, without needing the other to move too
oxygen
the gas in air and water that animals need to breathe
stranded
left stuck in a place that is hard to leave
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One passage, three levels

The same topic and facts written three ways, so a mixed class can read and talk about one text. Each group’s sheet shows only a shape; the key says which is which.

● Easier · 220 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.1

At low tide, the muddy shores of warm coasts in Africa, Asia and Australia show an odd sight. Fish are walking. These fish are mudskippers. They spend much of their lives out of the water.

A mudskipper props itself up on its strong front fins. The fins work like short arms. It drags its body forward. It can also flick its tail to skip across the mud. Its eyes sit high on its head, like little periscopes. It can watch for birds and other enemies while its body stays low. Each eye can move on its own, so the fish can look in many directions.

Breathing is the big problem for a fish on land. The mudskipper takes in oxygen through its skin and through the lining of its mouth and throat. These only work while they are wet. So the fish must keep its skin damp. It rolls in shallow puddles. It also carries a little water in its gill chambers to freshen up.

Mudskippers dig burrows in the mud. A burrow is a safe place to hide, lay eggs and wait out the high tide. Males guard their patch of mud. They leap and raise their fins to show off. Most fish would be stuck on the mud, but the mudskipper has found a way to live there.

▲ This passage · 242 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 7.1

At low tide, the muddy shores of tropical coasts in Africa, Asia and Australia fill with an odd sight: fish that are walking. These animals are mudskippers, and they spend much of their lives out of the water.

A mudskipper moves by propping itself on its strong front fins, which are shaped like short arms, and dragging its body forward. A quick flick of the tail can also send it skipping across the mud. High on its head are two eyes that rise like periscopes, which let it keep watch for birds and other enemies while its body stays low. They also move independently, so the fish can scan in several directions at once.

The greatest challenge for any fish on land is breathing. Mudskippers solve it by taking in oxygen through their skin and the inside of their mouth and throat, but these surfaces work only while they stay wet. For that reason, a mudskipper must keep its skin damp. It rolls in shallow puddles, and it also keeps a small supply of water tucked inside its gill chambers to refresh itself.

Mudskippers also tunnel into the mud. A burrow gives a safe place to hide, to lay eggs and to wait out the high tide. Males defend their patch of mud, and they leap and raise their fins to impress rivals and mates. In an environment where most fish would be stranded and helpless, the mudskipper has learned to thrive.

■ Harder · 243 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 8.6

At low tide, the muddy shores of tropical coasts in Africa, Asia and Australia present a strange spectacle: fish that are walking. These animals are mudskippers, and they spend a surprisingly large share of their lives out of the water.

A mudskipper travels by propping itself on its powerful front fins, which resemble short arms, and dragging its body forward. It can also flick its tail to leap, or skip, across the mud. Its eyes sit high on its head, like periscopes, enabling it to watch for birds and other enemies while its body remains low. The eyes also move independently of each other, so the fish can scan in several directions at once.

The greatest challenge for any fish on land is breathing. Mudskippers overcome it by absorbing oxygen through their skin and through the lining of their mouth and throat, but these surfaces function only while they remain wet. For that reason, a mudskipper must constantly keep its skin damp. It rolls in shallow puddles, and it carries a small reserve of water in its gill chambers to refresh itself.

Mudskippers also excavate burrows in the mud. A burrow provides a secure place to hide, to lay eggs and to wait out the high tide. Males defend their patch of mud, leaping and raising their fins to impress rivals and potential mates. In an environment where most fish would be stranded and helpless, the mudskipper has discovered a way to thrive.

Download as one PDF

How to use it

  1. Press Read it big (or B) to put the text on the projector, or Full screen (F) to fill the whole screen.
  2. Ask the questions one at a time and use Show answer when the class has decided. A shows or hides every answer.
  3. Print student copy for the class, or Print with answers for yourself.

Ideas for class

  • Before reading, put tropical, periscopes, independently, oxygen and stranded on the board with their meanings from the Words to know section and have students predict what the text will be about.
  • Read it aloud once while students follow along, then have them reread it alone or with a partner. At a calm 100 words a minute it takes about 2 minutes to read aloud.
  • Use the Read it big button (or B) to put the text on the projector, and Show answer on one question at a time so the class commits to an answer first.
  • Question 5 asks the reader to infer. Ask students to point to the words in the passage that led them to their answer.
  • Ask students to write one question the passage did not answer, then look for the answer in a book or on a classroom screen.
  • Print the student copy for independent work and keep the answer-key copy for yourself.

Related

Questions

What reading level is "The Mudskipper Fish Out of Water"?

It was written for 7th grade. It has 242 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 7.1. That is a formula's estimate from sentence length and syllables, and it is not a Lexile or a guided reading level, so check it against your students.

What do the questions ask?

There are six. 4 ask for something the text says directly and 2 ask the reader to work something out from clues. Each has an answer in the key, and the answers are written as a teacher would accept them, not as the only possible wording.

How long does it take to read?

About 2 minutes read aloud at 100 words a minute. For a one-minute fluency check, paste it into the fluency timer and use the word count.

Can I print it?

Yes. Print student copy gives the passage, the questions with lines to write on, and the word meanings. Print with answers gives the same page with the answers filled in. Both are made in your browser.

Is this passage from a published book?

No. It was written for Peabody Teach, so there is no book to buy and no login to read it.

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