Archerfish (Toxotes jaculatrix)
The Archerfish are also known by their other name, Spinner Fish. They can be found from India to the Philippines, Australia and Polynesia. They typically inhabit brackish waters of estuaries and mangroves, but can also be found in the open ocean, as well as in various fresh waters.
The Archerfish have triangular little bodies that are deep and laterally compressed. Typically, these fish are silver in color with black spots or stripes. The mouth is protractile, and the lower jaw jets out just alittle. These amazing creatures have incredible eyesight, which is necessary for hunting their prey. These fish typically reach lengths of approximately 5 to 10 cm, but some specimens can reach up to 16 inches.
The Archerfish aquired their name for their remarkable ability of preying on land-based insects and other small animals. They use a form of archery to shoot their prey down with water droplets from their specialized mouths. They are incredibly accurate in their shooting skills. Usually, adult fish almost always hit the target on the first shot. They can bring down insects and other prey on perches up to 5 feet above the water’s surface. When these fish spot their prey, they place their lips just above the surface of the water and squirting a jet of water at its victim, knocking the prey into the water. These fish are persistant, if the first shot doesn\’t succeed, they will keep trying.
Photo courtesy of fishes-world.blogspot.com
Information courtesy of wikipedia.org, liveaquaria.com, animalplanet.com, fishchannel.com