Archerfish are very clever hunters. These fish look for insects and spiders sitting on leaves or flying through the air. They then shoot them down using streams of water from their mouths. Once their prey falls into the water, the archerfish gobbles it up! These fish have very accurate aim - most adult archerfish hit their target on the first shot, although they are persistent and will take more shots if they need to. Archerfish also have very good eye site, which helps them spot their prey.
Archerfish are small, measuring 5 to 7 inches long. They live in parts of Asia and Australia. There are six species of archerfish and most live in fresh water rivers, streams and pools. Archerfish start hunting when they are about an inch long, but they are not very good at it. Because of this, young archerfish hunt in small groups, improving the chances that at least one of the fish will hit its target.
Cool Fact: Archerfish can shoot down prey up to 10 feet above the water's surface!
Their mouths are like squirt guns! Cool!
ReplyDeleteHow fast does the water come out?
ReplyDeleteGood question Dad. It depends on how far away the insect is, so we don't really know. But we do know that archerfish change the shape of their mouths to improve their aim, and that the water at the end of the stream moves faster than the water at the beginning of the stream. This means that all the squirted water slams into the bug in a short burst, giving it maximum force. Using their mouths and the water in this special way is like using a tool, which is very unusual for a fish. It took a team of scientists four years to figure this out!
DeleteThis is really cool. I would like to see one of these guys shoot down a fly!
ReplyDeleteOoooh I love this blog! I can’t wait to read about the next creature!
ReplyDeleteStay tuned for more creatures!
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