Archerfish
Overview
A silvery fish with striking black bands running down its body. They have a deep, laterally compressed body and a large, upturned mouth. Their most famous feature is their ability to spit a jet of water to knock insects and other prey off overhanging vegetation.
Origin: Southeast Asia to Northern Australia.
Family: Toxotidae
Physical Characteristics
Habitat Requirements
Care and Feeding
Diet Information: In the wild, their diet consists almost entirely of terrestrial insects they "shoot down." In the aquarium, this can be replicated. Staple: High-quality floating pellets or flakes, frozen foods like krill, shrimp, and bloodworms. Live Food: The most enriching part of their diet is live insects. Crickets, flies, and mealworms can be dangled above the water's surface to encourage their natural spitting behavior.
Breeding
Breeding Difficulty: Very Difficult
Breeding Notes: There are no known reports of successful breeding in a home aquarium. In the wild, it is believed that they migrate to saltwater environments to spawn. This complex process is extremely difficult to replicate in captivity.
Compatibility
Peaceful
Compatibility Notes: Best kept with other robust, peaceful brackish fish that are too large to be considered prey. Good tank mates include Monos, Scats, and larger Mollies. They should not be kept with small fish or invertebrates like shrimp.