[Innes]

*above pic submitted by Nethius

Common name: Archer fish
Scientific name: Toxotes jaculatrix
Synonyms: T. jaculator
Size: Up to 10" (25cm), but often smaller.
Origin: India, Southeast Asia to Australia
Tank setup: Larger aquarium, with plants or roots going down into or out from the water. Ideally, use a deep tank part-filled, with a tight-fitting lid, to provide a space above the water where insects can be introduced.
Compatibility: Fairly peaceful with similar sized fish.
Temperature: 25-30oC (77-86oF)
Water chemistry: Fairly hard, neutral to alkaline (pH 7.0-8.5). Brackish water.
Feeding: Requires live foods such as insects and worms
Sexing: Unknown

The Archerfish family (Toxotidae) contains 6 species:
*Toxotes blythi
*Toxotes chatareus (Common, 7-Spot, Largescale Archer)
*Toxotes jaculatrix (Banded Archer)
*Toxotes lorentzi (Primitive Archer)
*Toxotes microlepis (Smallscale Archer)
*Toxotes oliglepis (Western Archer)

The most common 2 being Taxotes chatareus and Toxotes jaculatrix which can be found in pet shops, but look so similar that they are often confused, The species covered here Toxotes jaculatrix is the more common of the two and is also smaller and less aggressive than its cousin Toxotes chatareus

The Archerfish gets its name from its ability to shoot a stream of water up to 1.5m out of the water at passing insects to knock them into the water so it can eat them, they do this with help from a small grove in the top of their mouth which they can press their tongue against and squeeze water through using their gills.
They can also leap out of the water to catch insects.
These fish are perfectly suited to looking at insects above, as they are very narrow and the top of them is flat so they can be against the waters surface without breaking it and there they can see the insects without being noticed.

In the home aquarium these fish require live foods like insects or even worms, they also require brackish water so their list of tankmates is limited to brackish species like monos, scats, puffers and other brackish fishes.

*If you have any pics or comments on this species please add them below

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[Vampor]

thats one hell-of-a wierd and cool fish

thanks innes

[RhomZilla]

Nice!!! I've seen this fish on the Discovery before, the spitting fish!!

[crazyklown89]

Thanks Innes .....hehe I'm surprised you actually took my request

[piranha45]

crazyklown89, on Nov 6 2003, 03:30 PM, said:

.....hehe I'm surprised you actually took my request

I am, too

[RhomZilla]

piranha45, on Nov 6 2003, 02:42 PM, said:

crazyklown89, on Nov 6 2003, 03:30 PM, said:

.....hehe I'm surprised you actually took my request

I am, too

Innes is a nice guy, not to mention a very helpfull one. If you were to ask, he'd go all the way for you

[Lahot]

and aren't they really hard to keep and unless you are real lucky they will die pretty quickly after you buy them. Problem is in feeding them live insects. I didn't see an "ease of keeping" section there, but this is what I've read and been told.

[Innes]

RhomZilla, on Nov 6 2003, 03:51 PM, said:

piranha45, on Nov 6 2003, 02:42 PM, said:

crazyklown89, on Nov 6 2003, 03:30 PM, said:

.....hehe I'm surprised you actually took my request

I am, too

Innes is a nice guy, not to mention a very helpfull one. If you were to ask, he'd go all the way for you

Yeah I am open for any Questions/requests from people

[Death in #'s]

Innes, on Nov 6 2003, 10:41 PM, said:

RhomZilla, on Nov 6 2003, 03:51 PM, said:

piranha45, on Nov 6 2003, 02:42 PM, said:

crazyklown89, on Nov 6 2003, 03:30 PM, said:

.....hehe I'm surprised you actually took my request

I am, too

Innes is a nice guy, not to mention a very helpfull one. If you were to ask, he'd go all the way for you

Yeah I am open for any Questions/requests from people

? are u























jk

[Innes]

yes

[crazyklown89]

lol I knew it!!! jking

I think they should be fairly easy.....just get like a 55g fill it up 3/4 of the way and have some really tall hanging plants or driftwood sticking out of the water....then toss a few crickets

[Death in #'s]

Innes, on Nov 7 2003, 09:15 PM, said:

yes

seriously though nice fish of the week

[14_blast]

I've seen archers for sale at lfs's, but I've never seen the archers shootdown their meal....that's awesome!!!

[Zuri]

I've always wanted a HUGE tank full of these guys. Someday, I will have it. A truely remarkable creature. Great Post Innes and Crazy!

[camotekid]

does these archers also belong to the cichlid clans? They seem to be cichlid to me.

[Innes]

camotekid, on Nov 24 2003, 11:12 AM, said:

does these archers also belong to the cichlid clans? They seem to be cichlid to me.

no, they are perches like gobys, snakeheads and monos

[sweet lu]

neat fish man

[crazyklown89]

sweet lu, on Dec 6 2003, 01:43 AM, said:

neat fish man

wow it took you exactly one month to reply to an old FOTW and say "neat fish man"

[Nethius]

i see there's no pic, you can use mine

[Innes]

Nethius, on Apr 14 2004, 05:05 AM, said:

i see there's no pic, you can use mine

Thank you