Mudskippers are fish that use their fins to walk and skip on the mud at low tide. They breathe through their skin and the surface of their mouth when out of the water but they must remain damp. They store water in their large gill chambers on their neck. They will fight other mudskippers over their territory. When the tide comes in, they find protection from other fish by living in a burrow in the soft mud. Their burrow has a chimney built on top and they create an air pocket in the chamber below. The eyes on the top of their head allow them to swim with their eyes above the surface so they see predators from all directions. 

Insects and spiders

The easiest to find insects in mangroves are the butterflies visiting the flowers for their nectar. While drinking the nectar, they are covered in pollen and help to transport the pollen to other flowers. At certain times of the year, mosquitoes and biting midges can make a visit to some mangroves unpleasant. Some species of ants, termites, wasps, moths, bugs and flies also make the mangroves their home.

Where there are insects, there are hungry spiders waiting to feed on them. Orb weavers spin their large webs between branches. Huntsman spiders hide under bark when they are not hunting. Leaf curing spiders make their home by using their silk to roll up a leaf where they can hide inside.

Birds

Birds that hunt for insects and spiders or find food in the flowers  can be active all day long. Some of the birds like the mangrove whistler prefer living in mangroves, but many common birds like robins and honeyeaters will also feed in mangroves.

When the tide is out many wading and other wetland birds have a feast on crabs, marine worms, shellfish and any fish that have been left stranded. Herons and egrets are grabbing large items of food from shallow water or the muddy surface. Ibis and smaller wading birds can also probe the mud for the life hiding below. Many of the wading birds migrate to the northern hemisphere to breed.

Crocodiles

Saltwater crocodiles are often found at both low and high tides in mangrove swamps. They will find an open dry area where they can warm themselves in the sun. They will effortlessly swim around the mangrove hunting at high tide. At low tide they can only crawl leaving behind their large trail. They will feed on fish and large crabs. They will quickly clean up any dead animals.

Australia has two species of crocodile. The large saltwater crocodile lives in both salt and freshwater and are dangerous to humans. The freshwater crocodile lives in rivers and eats fish and are not normally a danger. The only thing people can do to protect themselves from saltwater crocodiles is to never swim in their habitat.