Banded Archerfish (Toxotes jaculatrix)
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| A school of Banded Archerfish found in Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. (Photograph by: Lumin Ong) |
Family: Toxotidae
Species Name: Toxotes jaculatrix
Common Name(s): Banded Archerfish
Species Name: Toxotes jaculatrix
Common Name(s): Banded Archerfish
Presence in Singapore: Native
Habitat: Mangrove swamps, tidal rivers and other coastal habitats with varying salinity.
Conservation status: Least Concern (Red Data Book 3)
Archerfishes are one of the most popular fishes in the world, renowned for their ability to shoot jets of water at prey outside of water. To shoot down prey, an archerfish would place their tongue against the roof of its mouth to form a tube, which it then closes its gill operculum at high speeds to force water through. It is suggested that archerfishes are able to compensate for the refraction and process targets in three-dimension. All archerfishes share the same deep-bodied build, with a large superior (upward-facing) mouth fitting its lifestyle.
In Singapore, there are two species of archerfishes in Singapore with the Banded Archerfish being the most commonly encountered. They can get rather large for an archerfish, growing up to 30cm in length. They are abundant in mangrove swamps where they patrol among the roots during high tide for prey such as insects to shoot down. They are omnivorous and opportunistic feeders of other foodstuffs at the surface. During a changing tide, they would stick to the sides or near structures to take shelter from the currents.
Habitat: Mangrove swamps, tidal rivers and other coastal habitats with varying salinity.
Conservation status: Least Concern (Red Data Book 3)
Archerfishes are one of the most popular fishes in the world, renowned for their ability to shoot jets of water at prey outside of water. To shoot down prey, an archerfish would place their tongue against the roof of its mouth to form a tube, which it then closes its gill operculum at high speeds to force water through. It is suggested that archerfishes are able to compensate for the refraction and process targets in three-dimension. All archerfishes share the same deep-bodied build, with a large superior (upward-facing) mouth fitting its lifestyle.
In Singapore, there are two species of archerfishes in Singapore with the Banded Archerfish being the most commonly encountered. They can get rather large for an archerfish, growing up to 30cm in length. They are abundant in mangrove swamps where they patrol among the roots during high tide for prey such as insects to shoot down. They are omnivorous and opportunistic feeders of other foodstuffs at the surface. During a changing tide, they would stick to the sides or near structures to take shelter from the currents.
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| Several Banded Archerfishes taking shelter under the main bridge at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve during a changing tide. (Photograph by: Tay Jing Xuan) |
Aside from mangrove swamps, they can also be found further upstream in freshwater and out in saltwater along the coasts. They can be differentiated from the Spotted Archerfish (Toxotes chatareus) via their dull-coloured eyes and their even-sized, large black blotches. The patterning of juveniles are complete stripes that reach from top to bottom.
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| A school of Banded Archerfishes found along a seawall at our southern shores. (Photograph by: Tay Jing Xuan) |
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| A juvenile Banded Archerfish found in Pasir Ris Park's mangroves. (Photograph by: Lumin Ong) |
References
- Lim, K.K.P. & Low, J.K.Y. 1998. A Guide to Common Marine Fishes of Singapore. Singapore Science Centre, 163 pp. ISBN 981-00-9904-5.
- National Parks Board (NParks). Marine Fishes. Retrieved from https://www.nparks.gov.sg/nature/species-list/marine-fishes.
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