The fish float near the surface of the brackish water they prefer, awaiting spiders and insects. Once a tasty bug is directly above them, they shoot a powerful stream of water to knock the insect into the water! If at first they don’t succeed, this fish can shoot up to seven streams in one mouthful of water. Should it still miss the target, this fish has the ability to jump out of the water with enough momentum to chase down its meal. This fish is no passive aquarium fish.

The name archer fish reflects its ability to take down prey both underwater and above the water by spitting an “arch” of water at it.

Archer fish spend the majority of the day swimming near the surface of the water looking for prey. They are excellent hunters. They have been known to leap out of the water to catch insects and spiders. Archer fish shoot a stream of water out of their mouths to knock flying prey items out of the air; they have great aim, too.

These fish have been observed shooting at prey 5 feet (1.5 meters) above the surface of the water. When preparing to take down prey, they suck in water, place their tongue on the roof of their mouth, and then shoot. The mouth protrudes above the surface for best aim. With one gulp of water, they can shoot six to seven times.