text: banded archerfish the banded archerfish ( toxotes jaculatrix ) is a brackish water perciform fish of the archerfish genus toxotes . it is silvery in colour and has a dorsal fin towards the posterior end . it has distinctive , semi - triangular markings along its sides . it is best known for its ability to spit a jet of water to " shoot down " prey . larger specimens may be able to hit prey 2 to 3 metres ( 6 ft 7 in to 9 ft 10 in ) away . the banded archerfish may reach the displaced prey within 50 milliseconds of its hitting the water . the name ( binomial as well as common ) refers to sagittarius the archer , because of the unusual method banded archerfish use to capture prey . banded archerfish are found in indo - pacific and oceanian waters , generally in river mouths and mangrove estuaries . they move between fresh , salt , and brackish water over the course of their lifetime , though not to breed . because of their markings and silvery colour , banded archerfish are sometimes kept as aquarium fish , though they are difficult to care for and not recommended for most home aquaria . taxonomy and etymology toxotes jaculatrix were originally described by peter simon pallas in 1767 . since then , several synonyms ( such as jaculatrix and jaculatrix ) and misspellings ( toxotes ) have come into use . toxotes is greek for " bowman " or " archer " , and specifically refers to sagittarius . the species name jaculatrix is related to the english and means " thrower " or " caster " ( of a dart or arrow ) . both the common name and binomial name refer to the banded archerfish 's habit of catching prey by shooting " arrows " of water through its mouth . description banded archerfish have four dorsal spines , 11 to 13 dorsal soft rays , three anal spines ( of which the third is longest ) and 15 to 17 anal soft rays . the first spine is always the shortest ; the rays become shorter toward the posterior end . there are about 23 scales between the first dorsal spine and the posterior nostrils . certain areas of the body are tinged green . the back of the fish is olive - green or brown . the dorsal fin is yellowish - green and located towards the posterior end , and its base is shorter than that of the anal fin . the caudal fin is " dirty green " and about the same height until the point of attachment , where it becomes shallower . the anal fin is silver . the body of the banded archerfish is oblong in shape and raised on the posterior side . the body is generally silver - white in colour , though varying colourations , such as yellow , have been observed . four to six broad black bars may be present on the dorsal side . the first bar is found anterior to the operculum , the bony plate covering the gills , and the second is found behind the operculum . the third bar is found below the origin of the dorsal fin , the fourth bar below the soft dorsal , and the fifth ( if any ) on the area between the anal fin and caudal fin ( caudal peduncle ) . these bars become shorter as the fish ages . the lateral line curves upwards at the area between the fourth and ninth lateral scales . banded archerfish can reach a maximum length of 30 centimetres ( 12 in ) ; however , average length is about 20 centimetres ( 7 . 9 in ) . banded archerfish have large eyes , which , unlike many other fishes , are positioned for binocular vision . the head is slightly shorter than the body , with a distinctively pointed snout . juveniles may be yellow - green to brown on the dorsal side and silvery on the ventral side . the juveniles ' flanks are grey - green . some banded archerfish have irregular yellow patches between their bands . the possibility of sexual dimorphism in banded archerfish has not been investigated . comparison to other archerfish the banded archerfish and its relative the largescale archerfish ( toxotes chatareus ) are sometimes grouped and sold together under the label " archerfish " . however , the banded archerfish has four dorsal spines whereas largescale archerfish has five . the banded archerfish usually has four to five wedge - shaped bands , but largescale archerfish has six or seven spots and shorter bands in a regular , alternating pattern . unlike the silvery banded archerfish , the largescale is sooty in colour . the banded archerfish may also be confused with the smallscale archerfish , toxotes microlepis . these are more difficult to distinguish , but the most striking difference is in the last two bands . while both species have four or five wedge - shaped bands , those of the banded archerfish extend to the dorsal fin , whereas those of the smallscale archerfish do not ; there are two spots on the dorsal fin separate from the main bar . behaviour diet and feeding banded archerfish are omnivorous . in the daytime , they come to the surface to feed on floating matter . their diet comprises plant matter and insects , which they are able to " shoot down " . banded archerfish are also able to capture prey by jumping out of the water and seizing it from low overhanging branches . young archerfish form small schools while learning aim , increasing the chance that at least one shot will hit the target . their diet also comprises underwater prey , including crustaceans and small fishes . shooting banded archerfish have mouths adapted to spit jets of water over distance , usually to knock prey into the water . the banded archerfish shoots the jet of water by raising its tongue against the roof of its mouth , forming a tube . the opercula then close quickly , pressurizing water along the tube . most archerfish are able to spit at a range of 150 centimetres ( 59 in ) , though some larger specimens may be capable of ranges of up to 2 to 3 metres ( 6 ft 7 in to 9 ft 10 in ) . when a prey is shot down , the banded archerfish begins to move towards the place where it will land within 100 milliseconds and can reach it within 50 ms of its hitting the water . a study found that banded archerfish could be trained to hit moving targets at an accuracy rate of greater than 50 % . according to this study , the ability to hit moving targets is a complex learned behaviour , and can be learnt from other members of the school . the study concluded that fish could shoot more accurately after observing other members of the school shooting . the banded archerfish is able to hit targets with a high degree of accuracy , despite refraction of light at the water - air interface . it was believed that they are able to achieve this level of accuracy by positioning their bodies to shoot from directly under the intended target . however , later studies have found that banded archerfish are able to achieve great accuracy even at angles , suggesting that they are somehow able to compensate for refraction . this may also suggest that banded archerfish are capable of three - dimensional tasks . breeding the breeding habits of the banded archerfish are not well known . banded archerfish first begin to breed when they are about 10 centimetres ( 3 . 9 in ) long . the banded archerfish reproduces by spawning . there are reports that banded archerfish go to saltwater reefs to spawn , but these have not been confirmed . archerfish lay 20 , 000 to 150 , 000 eggs at a time . banded archerfish rarely breed in captivity . distribution and habitat the banded archerfish inhabits the indo - pacific and waters off northern australia , and less frequently those on the southern coast of australia . it can be found from india eastwards to the philippine islands , southwards to australia , as well as in waters off the solomon islands and the indonesian archipelago . it has been observed as far east as the new hebrides ( now known as vanuatu ) . the banded archerfish occurs mainly in areas of brackish water . mangrove estuaries are its primary habitat , though it occasionally moves upstream into freshwater rivers . it is associated with reefs and has been reported to occur near overhanging vegetation . while they may move between fresh and salt water during their life cycle , they do not do so to breed . relationship with humans banded archerfish are fairly common in the indo - pacific and are not currently endangered . they have a minor commercial role in fisheries and may be sold fresh in markets or collected for the aquarium trade . banded archerfish are threatened by the destruction of their mangrove swamp habitat and by pollution . in aquaria species in the genus toxotes , including the banded archerfish , are kept as aquarium fish . in aquaria , the banded archerfish can grow up to 25 centimetres ( 9 . 8 in ) long . they swim at the top level of the aquarium . banded archerfish can be kept in small groups of three to five ; fish of the same size get along but fish that are larger may be aggressive towards those that are smaller , and even try to eat them . they may live from five to eight years in captivity , and occasionally nine or ten . banded archerfish need warm water , usually between 25 and 30 ° c ( 77 and 86 ° f ) . the aquarium should be large with middling amounts of plant growth and plenty of space for swimming . it should be at least 20 to 30 centimetres ( 7 . 9 to 11 . 8 in ) deep . banded archerfish are generally not recommended for average home aquaria despite their attractive appearance because they are difficult to care for and require special conditions . banded archerfish prefer to shoot and capture live food rather than be fed flake food , and are therefore difficult to feed . they need brackish water as well as a tall canopy . in the wild they are able to jump out of the water to capture prey on overhanging branches ; a tall canopy is required to prevent their jumping out of the aquarium . banded archerfish should be kept in an aquarium with a volume of at least 45 to 55 us gallons ( 170 to 210 l ; 37 to 46 imp gal ) , though a greater volume is preferred . because of such difficulties in caring for banded archerfish , the species has not yet been successful in captivity .