Which fish spits jets of water to knock insects off overhanging plants?

The archerfish is the fish that spits jets of water to knock insects off overhanging plants.

Archerfish hunt insects and other small animals above the water by aiming through the air and firing a focused stream. They press the tongue against the roof of the mouth to form a narrow channel, then rapidly close the gill covers to force water through it. The impact knocks the prey into the water, where the fish can seize it.

This technique requires more than strength: the fish must compensate for light refraction at the water’s surface, which can make an above-water target appear displaced. Archerfish can adjust their aim and the size of the shot, and young fish may improve by practicing or watching other fish.

The name refers to an archer firing a projectile, and the family name Toxotidae comes from the same idea. Archerfish are not one single species; the family includes several species in the genera Toxotes and Protoxotes. Banded archerfish are one well-known example, but “archerfish” is the canonical answer to this general behavior question.