Species Care

ARCHERFISH

Toxotes chatareus

Keeping Snapshot:
DOWNLOAD THIS CARE SHEET Preferred Water Parameters:
  • Temperature: 22-27 degrees celsius
  • pH Level: 7.0 - 8.2
  • General Hardness: Moderate - Hard

Range: Northern Australia, usually near coast. Also occurs in South-east Asia.

Reproduction: Egg scatterer, breed in wet season in fresh or brackish water. Spawned in captivity after hormone injection.

Feeding: Surface feeder, accepts most foods.

Additional Comments: Archerfish are famous for their ingenious ability to direct a squirt of water at insects sitting above the water surface, knocking the insect down so that they can pounce on it. Large fish can precisely shoot water up to 2-3 metres in distance! There are even various stories of unsuspecting Archerfish owners having water squirted in their eye as they peered down over the tank! Archerfish can become very tame and make a great pet fish.

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