Fish
Spotted Archerfish
Toxotes chatareusAlso known as Common Archerfish, Seven-spot Archerfish, Largescale Archerfish
Spotted archerfish hover near the water surface among coastal mangroves, accurately adjusting their aim for optical refraction before expelling high-velocity water jets to dislodge perching prey. These social hunters refine their shooting precision through practice, striking insects perched up to two meters above the water line. While thriving in murky brackish estuaries, they also journey far into upstream freshwater rivers across northern Australia and Southeast Asia.
AquaticPrecision HunterBrackish
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyInsects, Spiders, Small crustaceans
Predators
- Estuarine crocodiles
- Herons
- Barramundi
ThreatsMangrove clearance, wetland drainage, and agricultural runoff
HabitatsMangrove estuaries, brackish swamps, tidal creeks, and freshwater rivers
Life span3–5 years in the wild
Classification
- OrderPerciformes
- FamilyToxotidae
- GenusToxotes
- SpeciesToxotes chatareus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Observation: Look along overhanging mangrove branches where small schools patrol just beneath the surface.
- Patience: Watch quietly for sudden surface snaps or directed water jets aimed at roosting insects.
Predator (c) Mitch Ames, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Mangrove Neighbor (c) Bryce Watts-Parker, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Bryce Watts-Parker · cc-by
Close Relative (c) James St. John, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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