Ariake Sea is not the place to go if you’d like to swim (for that, let’s look at future posts), but it is an amazing ecosystem. A keystone species is the Japanese mudskipper (tobihaze, トビハゼ). It’s not the most attractive fish, but it’s adapted itself to an anoxic environment. The males dig burrows in the mud and try to attract females by acting really masculine. (See the photo for what it’s like to display mudskipper masculinity. I think he’s saying, “Yo!” ) Kumamoto Shinko (Port) is a good place to observe them. I was reminded of this by the Japan Today article on Saga’s mudflats. - William https://japantoday.com/category/features/travel/saga-fun-in-the-mud