archerfish

American  

[ahr-cher-fish] / ˈɑr tʃərˌfɪʃ /

noun

archerfish, plural archerfishes plural

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.

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archerfish British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• archerfish
  plural
• archerfishes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of archerfish

First recorded in 1885–90; archer + fish

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

archerfish

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 ● Mar. 22, 2022

To spit water, the archerfish brings its bony tongue to the roof of the mouth, compressing water at the back and forcing it out through the tube formed by the bones.

From Science Magazine ● Mar. 22, 2022

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 ● Oct. 30, 2018

I wonder if archerfish also practice entomology, visually identifying insects to know whether they are tasty, whether they are too big to eat or too small to bother with, or whether they sting.

From Scientific American ● Jun. 8, 2017

But we do know the tuskfish and the archerfish are prime examples of evolution's boundless capacity for problem solving, and they might turn out to have plenty of company among other fishes.

From Scientific American ● Jun. 8, 2017