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

An archerfish can blast a spider out of a mangrove bush from 1 meter away, sending the prey plopping into the water where the sharpshooting swimmer quickly gobbles it up.

From Science Magazine • Mar. 22, 2022

The archerfish is one of Southeast Asia’s deadliest sharpshooters.

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

An archerfish can squirt water in a single shot or in a machine gun–like fusillade.

From Scientific American • Jun. 8, 2017

Having such a generalizable “rule of fin” enables an archerfish to gauge absolute sizes of objects from unfamiliar angles and distances.

From Scientific American • Jun. 8, 2017