When observing Shuttles Hoppfish in an aquarium, you'll sometimes see them rolling around on the mud. This is a behavior to keep their bodies covered in muddy water, preventing their skin from drying out and allowing them to breathe through their skin. They also sometimes pull their eyes, which are located on top of their heads, back in tightly. This is also a behavior to prevent dehydration.

Shuttles Hoppfish 's face is somehow endearing. This might be because its eyes are located on top of its head. On an unobstructed tidal flat, being able to see a little further ahead allows it to spot predators more quickly. Similarly, the sand crab, a relative of Crab, also has its eyes located high up. Let's observe them.

Shuttles Hoppfish build burrows about 30 cm deep in muddy tidal flats. Around the burrows, there is a pile of mud that they have taken in with their mouths and spat out. The burrows not only protect them from predators such as birds, but also help them escape the high temperatures of summer and the low temperatures of winter, and they are also used as spawning grounds.

Shuttles Hoppfish have bodies that are brown or grayish in color, resembling mud, but from early summer to summer, you can see Shuttles Hoppfish that are light pink in color. These are males during the breeding season. When male Shuttles Hoppfish are in the breeding season, their body color changes, and they wriggle and jump around to court females.

Shuttles Hoppfish living in Tokyo Bay are a rare population, representing the northernmost limit of their habitat. However, most of the tidal flats in Tokyo Bay have been lost, putting them in a critical situation. The aquarium, in cooperation with nearby museums and other organizations, has formed the "Shuttles Hoppfish Conservation Facility Liaison Council" to conduct observation events for the public and research on Shuttles Hoppfish.