Banded Archerfish
Toxotes jaculatrix
Toxotidae
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About
Everyone buys the archerfish for the trick - the jet of water fired at an insect on an overhanging leaf, aimed with a correction for the refraction at the surface, from as far as 150 cm away according to FishBase. The thing to get right is the water it lives in, and it is the point on which shops are most often wrong. Toxotes jaculatrix is sold from freshwater vats and will survive in fresh water as a juvenile, but its primary habitat is brackish mangrove swamp and estuary. Seriously Fish's advice is that a brackish setup should always be used; Maidenhead Aquatics states it as a requirement, 'Must be kept in brackish water for long-term health'; AquaInfo is blunter still - 'If you want to keep the fish healthy you will really have to keep them in brackish water, they can't really have fresh water for long.' This is the same mistake the trade makes with the green spotted puffer, and it has the same ending: a fish that looks fine for a year or two and then quietly fails. Size is the other honest number. It reaches 30 cm, is commonly 20 cm, and it hunts at the surface in groups, so an adult shoal needs a long tank with a lowered water level and a firm lid - archerfish leap.
Care
A brackish tank, set up as brackish from the start rather than converted in a hurry: hard, alkaline water at pH 7.5-8.0, 26-29 °C, with marine salt rather than freshwater aquarium salt. The only specific gravity our sources publish is Maidenhead's breeding account at 1.006; treat that as the low end of the range and expect adults to want it saltier, not fresher. Maidenhead Aquatics asks for at least 150 x 60 x 60 cm and shoals of at least six; Seriously Fish quotes 120 x 60 x 60 cm (500 litres) for one adult and says groups of four or five keep conspecific aggression down. Leave the water level below the rim, plant or hang cover above the surface so the fish has something to shoot at, and fit tight cover slides - they jump. Keep the water spotless and well oxygenated, especially at the warm end of the range. Tankmates must be large brackish species such as scats, monos and green chromides; anything an adult can swallow will be swallowed. Live plants are fine, but only species that tolerate salt.
Diet
Feeds at the surface only - sinking food is ignored. Floating pellets, flake, freeze-dried and frozen foods are taken readily, and crickets, flies and mealworms above the water let the fish do what it is famous for.
Tankmate compatibility
Gets along with (2)
Possible with care (14)
Avoid (402)
Computed by the AquaSage engine for a spacious reference tank — always check the full verdict for your exact setup in the calculator.
Telling males from females
There is no reliable way to sex this species by eye. That is the honest answer, not a gap in our data.
All the methods, with diagramsAlso in these lists
Similar species
Same category and the closest water parameters — if this species isn't quite it, start here.
Sold in Lithuania
These Lithuanian shops listed this species in their public catalogue (checked August 8, 2026). Stock moves — ask before you travel.
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Frequently asked questions
- What tank size does a Banded Archerfish need?
- A Banded Archerfish needs an aquarium of at least 560 litres (147.9 US gallons) with a footprint at least 150 cm (59.1 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.
- What water parameters does a Banded Archerfish need?
- Banded Archerfish does best at 24–30 °C (75.2–86 °F), pH 7–8.2 and a general hardness of 12–30 °dGH.
- What group size does a Banded Archerfish need?
- Banded Archerfish is a social species — keep a group of at least 4 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.
- Is the Banded Archerfish suitable for beginners?
- Banded Archerfish is a demanding species best attempted with some experience — it needs stable, closely watched conditions to thrive.