Clouded Archerfish

The Clouded Archerfish (Toxotes blythii) possesses a unique hunting technique that helps it secure its food from outside. Also known as the zebra archerfish, this fish has long been confused with the Toxotes microlepis until key characteristics that separated them into different species were found. Commonly found in rivers and estuaries in Myanmar, we consider ourselves here at Blue Reef Aquarium Newquay lucky to have them in our exhibit. 

How to Identify a Clouded Archerfish

There are a few ways to identify a clouded archerfish properly, with one of the biggest indicators being the fact they are one of few archerfish restricted to fresh water. When it comes to appearance, the clouded archerfish has a silver body with irregular black spots that run horizontally on the body and has a black spot sitting below.

Interesting Clouded Archerfish Facts

While the standout fact about clouded archerfish revolves around their ability to turn water into a projectile, there are plenty of other things that make them interesting too. Below are some of the highlights.

Shooting Water at Prey

Archerfish have developed a special ability to shoot water out of their mouth at nearby prey that may be sat atop the water. Their ability to shoot a jet of water at their prey extends up to 150 centimetres away, meaning they have great reach when it comes to knocking insects off leaves or branches. 

They are capable of adjusting their vision in order to see the insect clearly through the water. They do this through controlling their vision so that the angle of refraction of the water to the air is insignificant.

Leaping Out of Water

If the archerfish misses its target with its jet of water, it will not hesitate to jump out of the water and swallow up its prey.

Male and Females are Indistinguishable

Male and female archerfish do not exhibit any signs of gender dimorphism. This is where the genders have different characteristics in order to tell them apart. 

Archerfish Can Lay a Lot of Eggs

Archerfish have been known to spawn up to 150,000 eggs at once, which hatch in just 12 hours.

Visit Our Clouded Archerfish

Book your tickets today to visit Blue Reef Aquarium Newquay and see our clouded archerfish in action for yourself.