Details
Toxotes jaculatrix
The banded archerfish shoots jets of water to knock insects from overhanging vegetation. It forms loose groups along brackish and freshwater edges.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It inhabits mangroves, estuaries, and freshwater banks of the Indomalayan region, Australasia. Branches and leaves over the surface create hunting sites.
Length 15-30 cm; weight 100 g-400 g. A silvery body bears dark vertical bands, with an upturned mouth and large eyes. The head is built for watching prey above the waterline.
Diurnal and loosely schooling, it cruises just below the surface. It fires accurate water jets and rushes to seize prey as it falls.
A carnivore, it eats insects, spiders, small crustaceans, and small fishes. It uses both aerial and aquatic prey.
Adults release eggs into the water during spawning. Young develop in sheltered coastal or estuarine waters.
It is listed as Least Concern, though local populations can still be affected by habitat change, collection, or pollution.
