Mudskipper relatives in the LRT now include dragonets
Dragonets,
like Callionymus (Fig 1), are not supposed to be gobies, but they nest with gobies in the large reptile tree (LRT, 2338 taxa). So do mudskippers like Periophthalmus (Fig 1). That’s less controversial.
Figure 1. The mudskipper, Periophthalmus, compared to living relatives.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/periophthalmus.skull588.jpg?w=114″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/periophthalmus.skull588.jpg?w=389″ class=”size-full wp-image-93381″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/periophthalmus.skull588.jpg” alt=”Figure 1. The mudskipper, Periophthalmus, compared to living relatives.” width=”584″ height=”1536″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/periophthalmus.skull588.jpg?w=584&h=1536 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/periophthalmus.skull588.jpg?w=57&h=150 57w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/periophthalmus.skull588.jpg?w=114&h=300 114w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/periophthalmus.skull588.jpg 586w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 1. The mudskipper, Periophthalmus, compared to living relatives.
According to Wikipedia – Dragonet:
“Due to similarities in morphology and behavior, dragonets are sometimes confused with members of the goby family. However, male dragonets can be differentiated from the goby by their very long dorsal fins, and females by their protruding lower jaws. The Draconettidae may be considered a sister family, whose members are very much alike, though rarely seen.”
Figure 2. Callionymus lyra skull and in vivo. Note the large postfrontal (orange), larger than in any other tested fish taxon.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/callionymus_lyra588.jpg?w=193″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/callionymus_lyra588.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-93383″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/callionymus_lyra588.jpg” alt=”Figure 2. Callionymus lyra skull and in vivo. Note the large postfrontal (orange), larger than in any other tested fish taxon. ” width=”584″ height=”906″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/callionymus_lyra588.jpg?w=584&h=906 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/callionymus_lyra588.jpg?w=97&h=150 97w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/callionymus_lyra588.jpg?w=193&h=300 193w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/callionymus_lyra588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 2. Callionymus lyra skull and in vivo. Note the large postfrontal (orange, SO), larger than in any other tested fish taxon. Note the cranial pinch between the orbits.
A revision of the bone elements
in the dragonet, Callionymus (Fig 2) to more closely match more plesiomorphic related taxa revealed a large postfrontal (orange, SO) and other odd-shaped elements.
This is when learning and discovery take place: on the second, third and fourth attempts at trying to understand the skull elements as they related to skull elements in tetrapods and how homologs appeared in ancestral Devonian taxa.
Housekeeping continues
in the fish subset of the LRT.
References
wiki/Dragonet
wiki/Mudskipper
Source: https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/2025/06/27/mudskipper-relatives-in-the-lrt-now-include-dragonets/
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