A freshwater fish that knocks insect prey off overhanging vegetation by shooting water at it from its mouth. It is native to Asia, Australia, and the Philippines.
射水鱼
Genus Toxotes, family Toxotidae: several species, in particular T. jaculator
Example sentencesExamples
By shooting jets or bullets of water, and correcting for light refraction, archerfishes knock insects down to the water surface and quickly consume them.
Banded archerfish have a deep laterally-compressed body with a flattened head and back.
Colisa uses the same technique as archerfishes to prey on insects just above the water.
Experiments now suggest that an archerfish needs just a quick glance to judge where the dislodged prey will later hit the water and promptly moves in that direction well before the insect splashes down.
Definition of archerfish in US English:
archerfish
nounˈärCHərˌfiSH
A freshwater fish that knocks insect prey off overhanging vegetation by spitting water at it. It is native to Asia, Australia, and the Philippines.
射水鱼
Genus Toxotes, family Toxotidae: several species, in particular T. jaculator
Example sentencesExamples
Colisa uses the same technique as archerfishes to prey on insects just above the water.
Experiments now suggest that an archerfish needs just a quick glance to judge where the dislodged prey will later hit the water and promptly moves in that direction well before the insect splashes down.
Banded archerfish have a deep laterally-compressed body with a flattened head and back.
By shooting jets or bullets of water, and correcting for light refraction, archerfishes knock insects down to the water surface and quickly consume them.