Archerfish The archerfish is native to the Indo-Pacific region. Commonly found in small rivers and stream across Asia (The Editors of the Encyclopedia Britannica). They are mostly found in fresh waters and occasionally in brackish salt water. According to the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, they can live 5 to 8 years while in captivity but only around 2 in the wild. The archer fish is most commonly known for their ability to shoot land-based insects down using water from their mouths. When the archer fish compresses its gill covers, it uses its tongue to press a tube in the roof of its mouth, causing water to shoot out. They use this spitting technique to shoot their prey from the vegetation above the water and to move sediment under the water. Studies suggest the underwater jets were most …show more content…
They do stay in groups called shoals. The archerfish shoals do leave their shallow coastal habitats to swim out to the coral reefs during rainy season to spawn. Several websites, including Wikipedia, suggested the archerfish that lived in the streams more inland lay their eggs in murky water possibly around tree roots, but I could not find any additional information from my reliable sources on this. According to the Aquarium of Pacific, “The female lays about 20,000- 150,000 eggs…” These eggs are then fertilized externally by the male’s sperm. The archerfish has few predators. These predators include humans (for food and trade), larger fish, and birds of prey. The biggest threat to the archerfish population is harm to their habitat. This harm is mostly done by humans destroying the mangroves. In conclusion, doing this paper has taught me a lot about a fish I probably would never have known about. I found the archer fish very interesting. I am also curious as to if their “spitting” is a trait other fish may adapt to and learn to use in generations to