archerfish

American  

[ahr-cher-fish] / ˈɑr tʃərˌfɪʃ /

noun

plural

archerfish,

plural

archerfishes

1. a small fish, Toxotes jaculatrix, of brackish and fresh waters in southeastern Asia, that preys upon shoreside spiders and insects by spitting drops of water at them and knocking them into the water.

2. any of several closely related fishes of the family Toxotidae.

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archerfish British  

/ ˈɑːtʃəˌfɪʃ /

noun

1. any freshwater percoid fish of the family Toxotidae of S and SE Asia and Australia, esp Toxotes jaculatrix, that catch insects by spitting water at them

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Etymology

Origin of archerfish

First recorded in 1885–90; archer + fish

Example Sentences

To find out, neuroscientist Ronen Segev and colleagues trained five archerfish to shoot at images on a computer screen hanging above their tanks in their lab at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

From Science Magazine • Mar. 1, 2022

The model assessed which visual properties—such as roundness, symmetry, and texture—it needed to think like an archerfish.

From Science Magazine • Mar. 1, 2022

When naive archerfish watch fish already skilled at hitting moving targets, they more often hit their target on their first attempt, compared to those who never observed others hunt.

From The Guardian • Oct. 30, 2018

Using water as a projectile is only one of many foraging options for the archerfish.

From Scientific American • Jun. 8, 2017

I wonder if archerfish also practice entomology, visually identifying insects to know whether they are tasty, whether they are too big to eat or too small to bother with, or whether they sting.

From Scientific American • Jun. 8, 2017