How does the banded archerfish hunt?

It positions itself just below the water's surface and shoots a precisely aimed jet of water at insects resting on overhanging leaves, knocking them into the water before rushing in to eat them, sometimes within 50 milliseconds of impact.

Where does the banded archerfish live?

It inhabits brackish mangrove estuaries and occasionally freshwater rivers across the Indo-Pacific, from India eastward to the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

Banded Archerfishテッポウウオ

Toxotes jaculatrixLC— Least Concern

The banded archerfish is an Indo-Pacific species famous for its sharpshooting hunting technique, spitting precisely aimed jets of water to knock insects off overhanging leaves. Living in brackish mangrove estuaries from India to the Solomon Islands, it compensates for light refraction when aiming and can strike prey more than two meters away.

Banded Archerfish (reference photo) — Photo: Amada44 / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Source / cropped

Species Data

Classification: Carangiformes / Toxotidae Source
Size: Total length about 20–25 cm, maximum 30 cm
Lifespan: 5–8 years in captivity, up to 9–10 years
Diet: Omnivore Omnivorous; shoots down insects perched on leaves above the water with a jet of water, and also eats small fish and crustaceans near the surface
Distribution: Widely distributed across the Indo-Pacific from India east to the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, inhabiting brackish mangrove estuaries and occasionally freshwater rivers. Source
Sources: ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

Did You Know?

It fires jets of water from just below the surface while compensating for light refraction, and large individuals can hit prey 2 to 3 meters away. Source
It can reach prey it has knocked into the water within just 50 milliseconds of impact, demonstrating remarkably fast reaction speed. Source
It hunts in groups and appears to learn by observing the shooting behavior of other individuals; a single spawning event can produce 20,000 to 150,000 eggs, though breeding rarely occurs in captivity. Source

Where to See This Species

Operating facilities registered on this site: Japan 16

Banded Archerfishテッポウウオ

Species Data

Did You Know?

Where to See This Species

NOTOJIMA AQUARIUMIshikawaThe nearest station is Wakura-Onsen Station.

Aquamarine FukushimaFukushimaOpened in 2000

Miyajima Public AquariumHiroshimaOpened in 2011

SENDAI UMINO-MORI AQUARIUMMiyagiOpened in 2015

NIFRELOsakaOpened in 2015

Sunshine AquariumTokyoFrom Ikebukuro Station (Exit 35), walk along Sunshine 60 Street.

SHINAGAWA AQUARIUMTokyoOpened in 1991

Ise Sea ParadiseMieOpened in 1966

Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea ParadiseKanagawaThe nearest station is Hakkeijima Station on the Seaside Line (connecting from Kanazawa-Hakkei Station on the Keikyu Line or Shin-Sugita Station on the JR Negishi Line).

Okinawa Churaumi AquariumOkinawaOpened in 2002

Adachi Park of Living ThingsTokyoAbout 20 minutes on foot from the east exit of Takenotsuka Station on the Tobu Skytree Line.

Minamichitabichi LandAichiOpened in 1980

Hakone-en AquariumKanagawa

ItabashikuritsunettaikankyoushokubutsukanTokyoOpened in 1994

Port of Nagoya Public AquariumAichi5 minutes on foot from Exit 3 of Nagoyako Station on the Subway Meiko Line (transfer to the Meiko Line at Sakae Station on the Higashiyama Line, or at Kanayama Station on the Meitetsu and JR lines).

Tateshina Amusement AquariumNaganoOpened in 1993

Former facilities

Toukaidaigakukaiyoukagaku HakubutsukanShizuokaOpened in 1970

Temporarily closed facilities

Shinyashima SuizokukanKagawaOpened in 1969

Conservation Story

Conservation Status

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