Archerfish
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The archerfish are a family (Toxotidae) of fish known for their habit of preying on land-based insects and other small animals by shooting them down with water droplets from their specialized mouths. The family is small, consisting of seven species in the genus Toxotes; which typically inhabit brackish waters of estuaries and mangroves, but can also be found in the open ocean, as well as far upstream in fresh water. They can be found from India to the Philippines, Australia, and Polynesia.
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Banded archerfish |
Banded archerfish
phylum | Chordata | The banded archerfish is a brackish water perciform fish of the archerfish genus Toxotes. It is silvery in colour and has a dorsal fin towards the posterior end. It has distinctive, semi-triangular markings along its sides. It is best known for its ability to spit a jet of water to "shoot down" prey. Larger specimens may be able to hit prey 2 to 3 metres (6 ft 7 in to 9 ft 10 in) away. The banded archerfish may reach the displaced prey within 50 milliseconds of its hitting the water.
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class | Actinopterygii | |
order | Perciformes | |
family | Toxotidae | |
genus | Toxotes | |
species | T. jaculatrix |
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