Banded archerfish are small, only growing 5-8 inches long. Both genders have small scales that are white or silver with several black bands across their body.

All subspecies from the Toxotidae family are laterally compressed and deep bodied with forward-facing eyes.

Banded archerfish can be found in watersheds all over Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Australia, and India.

Banded archerfish live in brackish water and coastal mangrove forests. Brackish water is where the tide from the ocean mixes with freshwater sources producing a semi-salty environment. Mangrove trees have the amazing ability to grow both in brackish water and sand. They are one of the few trees on earth that can tolerate salt and provide one of the most ecologically productive habitats on the planet.

It’s the perfect place for young banded archerfish to hide, while the adults will swim out to the surrounding coral reefs to breed.

Banded archerfish are best known for their ability to shoot a jet of water to knock down their prey from above, but what most don’t know is they prefer to leap out of the water to catch insects. They also eat other animals swimming in the water just like a normal fish. It’s only when they realize their target is out of reach do they activate their sharpshooting skills.

By pressing their tongue against a groove in the roof of their mouth, they form a tube. When the time is perfect, they quickly shut their gills and it forces a powerful jet of water through this tube in their mouth directly at the unsuspecting insect above. Once the insect is knocked down, the banded archerfish will go in and grab it with their large, upwards-curved mouth.

They can shoot water up to 7 times in quick succession, and up to heights of 6 feet! Their level of accuracy is almost 90% since they don’t know when their next meal will come around.

Banded archerfish are also able compensate for light refraction and the undulating surface of the water. Refraction is the bending of a wave of light when it enters a medium like water where its speed is different. For the banded archerfish, this means their prey looks like it’s in one place, but is actually in another.

Their eyes don’t automatically compensate for this. They discover how to deal with refraction through trial and error. Eventually they realize the best position is usually directly below the prey where refraction is at its least. Some fish still are able to shoot at less than ideal angles if they can’t get below and still hit their target right on mark. 

The adults are more solitary and will swim out to the coral reefs to breed. They can lay up to 150,000 eggs and in 1-2 years, the young will reach maturity.

Archerfish can grow up to 12 inches, but the average size is 8 inches.

Young fish are more commonly found in brackish water in small groups. They take cover among the extensive root systems of the forest and can easily find prey from the canopy above.