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Animal profile

Banded Archerfish

Toxotes jaculatrix

ActinopterygiiBrackish estuaries, mangrove creeks, and coastal rivers, often near the surface under overhanging vegetation

Field profile

The banded archerfish is a small, silvery fish marked with dark vertical bands, best known for spitting jets of water to dislodge insects from overhanging leaves and branches. It lives in mangrove and estuarine habitats where the water's edge meets low vegetation, giving it easy access to airborne and perched prey.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2026-09-23

Banded Archerfish

Archerfish jets speed up mid-flight to hit prey

Banded archerfish fire water from their mouths to knock insects off leaves, and the jet accelerates after release so its tip strikes with more force than the mouth that launched it.

Read with evidence →

Banded Archerfish | Daily Animal Facts