Book 11, Question 130
Why Can Archerfish Shoot Water at Bugs?
Archerfish can shoot water at bugs because they have a built-in squirt gun! They spit a strong jet of water at insects on leaves above. The bug falls into the water, and the fish eats it.
More fun facts
- Archerfish shoot jets of water to knock insects into the water.
- A single jet can knock down one insect so the fish can gulp it.
- Archerfish can squirt one shot or a rapid machine gun burst.
- In one experiment, small archerfish hit targets about 15 centimeters above the water.
- Archerfish are clever enough to learn to recognize human faces.
Sources: Scientific American, Scientific American, National Geographic
Questions kids ask
What does an archerfish eat?
Insects and other small prey it knocks into the water.