archerfish

[ ahr-cher-fish ]

noun

, plural (especially collectively) ar·cher·fish, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) ar·cher·fish·es.

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.

archerfish

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of archerfish¹

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

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

From Science Magazine

University of Oxford zoologist Cait Newport suspected the archerfish she was studying could recognize her.

From Scientific American

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

Just last year, Sparks was part of a team that invented a biomimetic archerfish for the purposes of aiding research on social cognition.

From Washington Times