Banded archerfish

's 1878 Atlas Ichthyologique Toxotes jaculatrix were originally described by Peter Simon Pallas in 1767. Since then, several synonyms (such as Labrus jaculatrix and Sciaena jaculatrix) and misspellings (Toxotes jaculator) have come into use. The species name jaculatrix is related to the English jaculate and means "she who throws" or "she who casts" (of a dart or arrow). Both the common name and binomial name refer to the banded archerfish's habit of catching prey by shooting "arrows" of water through its mouth. ==Description==

Banded archerfish have four dorsal spines, 11 to 13 dorsal soft rays, three anal spines (of which the third is longest) The first spine is always the shortest; the rays become shorter toward the posterior end. Certain areas of the body are tinged green. The back of the fish is olive-green or brown. Comparison to other archerfish The banded archerfish and its relative the largescale archerfish (Toxotes chatareus) are sometimes grouped and sold together under the label "archerfish". However, the banded archerfish has four dorsal spines whereas largescale archerfish has five. The banded archerfish usually has four to five wedge-shaped bands, but largescale archerfish has six or seven spots and shorter bands in a regular, alternating pattern. Unlike the silvery banded archerfish, the largescale is sooty in colour. The banded archerfish may also be confused with the smallscale archerfish, Toxotes microlepis. These are more difficult to distinguish, but the most striking difference is in the last two bands. While both species have four or five wedge-shaped bands, those of the banded archerfish extend to the dorsal fin, whereas those of the smallscale archerfish do not; there are two spots on the dorsal fin separate from the main bar. ==Behaviour==

Diet and feeding Banded archerfish are omnivorous. In the daytime, they come to the surface to feed on floating matter. Their diet comprises plant matter and insects, which they are able to "shoot down". According to this study, the ability to hit moving targets is a complex learned behaviour, and can be learnt from other members of the school. The study concluded that fish could shoot more accurately after observing other members of the school shooting. However, later studies have found that banded archerfish are able to achieve great accuracy even at angles, suggesting that they are somehow able to compensate for refraction. This may also suggest that banded archerfish are capable of three-dimensional tasks. Breeding The breeding habits of the banded archerfish are not well known. Banded archerfish first begin to breed when they are about long. Banded archerfish rarely breed in captivity. ==Distribution and habitat==

The banded archerfish inhabits the Indo-Pacific and waters off northern Australia, and less frequently those on the southern coast of Australia. The banded archerfish occurs mainly in areas of brackish water. Mangrove estuaries are its primary habitat, though it occasionally moves upstream into freshwater rivers. It is associated with reefs and has been reported to occur near overhanging vegetation. ==Relationship with humans==

Banded archerfish are fairly common in the Indo-Pacific and are not currently endangered. They swim at the top level of the aquarium. Banded archerfish can be kept in small groups of three to five; Banded archerfish should be kept in an aquarium with a volume of at least , though a greater volume is preferred. Because of such difficulties in caring for banded archerfish, the species has not yet been successful bred in captivity. ==See also==