How does an archerfish form its jet?

By pressing its tongue against a groove in its mouth

What must archerfish correct for when aiming?

Light bending at the water surface

How do they make the water arrive with more force?

Adjust the jet so the tail catches up into a blob

Archerfish Quiz: How Water Jets Knock Down Insects

These small mangrove fish hunt by shooting water from below the surface and correcting for the way light bends, and this archerfish quiz explains how. Play 10 interactive questions on mouth grooves, jet range, refraction, jets that bunch into a blob, learning by watching, jumping for prey, face recognition experiments, brackish habitats and where archerfish live.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Hunt
How do archerfish catch insects?
Mouth
How does an archerfish form its jet?
Range
Roughly how far can an archerfish hit a target?
Light
What must archerfish correct for when aiming?
Blob
How do they make the water arrive with more force?
Learn
How can young archerfish improve their aim?
Jump
What else can archerfish do to catch prey?
Faces
What surprising skill did a 2016 study show?
Habitat
Where do archerfish often live?
Range2
Where are archerfish found?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: How do archerfish catch insects?
Answer: By shooting jets of water
Insects fall into the water.
Q2: How does an archerfish form its jet?
Answer: By pressing its tongue against a groove in its mouth
It makes a narrow tube.
Q3: Roughly how far can an archerfish hit a target?
Answer: Up to about 2 to 3 meters
Adults are most accurate close up.
Q4: What must archerfish correct for when aiming?
Answer: Light bending at the water surface
This is called refraction.
Q5: How do they make the water arrive with more force?
Answer: Adjust the jet so the tail catches up into a blob
Scientists filmed this in detail.
Q6: How can young archerfish improve their aim?
Answer: By watching skilled fish
They learn socially.
Q7: What else can archerfish do to catch prey?
Answer: Jump out of the water
They snatch low insects.
Q8: What surprising skill did a 2016 study show?
Answer: Recognizing human faces
They were trained to spit at a familiar face.
Q9: Where do archerfish often live?
Answer: Mangroves and brackish waters
Overhanging plants hold insects.
Q10: Where are archerfish found?
Answer: From India and Southeast Asia to northern Australia
They live in warm waters.

Archerfish Quiz – How Water Jets Knock Down Insects

Archerfish live in mangroves and brackish waters from India and Southeast Asia to northern Australia. They hunt by shooting jets of water at insects on overhanging plants, knocking them into the water.

To make a jet, an archerfish presses its tongue against a groove in the roof of its mouth, forming a narrow tube. It must correct for refraction as light bends at the surface, and it can hit targets up to about 2 to 3 meters away. Jets are shaped so the water bunches into a forceful blob.

Young archerfish learn by watching skilled fish, and archerfish can also jump to grab prey. A 2016 study even trained archerfish to recognize human faces.

What This Quiz Teaches

Animal and science fans will enjoy these questions.

How archerfish hunt
How their jets work
Why aiming is tricky
How they learn
Where they live

Did You Know?

Aquarium archerfish can soak unwary keepers.
They can predict where a falling insect will land.
Their eyes sit near the top of the head.
There are several archerfish species.
Larger fish shoot farther.