Zebra Archerfish

Toxotes blythii is the archerfish you can keep in plain fresh water, and the least commonly seen member of its genus in the trade. It comes from a restricted part of Burma that is hard to reach, so collecting trips are rare and the fish only began appearing on exporters' lists recently. It is sold as both the zebra and the clouded archerfish, the first name referring to the dark vertical bars along its flanks, which are boldest in young specimens. Adult size is not firmly established; Practical Fishkeeping puts it at roughly 15 cm, with the caveat that nobody is certain. Unlike the brackish T. jaculatrix and T. chatareus, this species does not need salt in its water, though it tolerates salt well enough for that to be useful when treating whitespot or velvet. Like all archerfish it shoots a jet of water at insects above the surface, which is the whole reason to keep one. A group of three or four wants 350 litres, and three is the sensible floor for a group because a pair usually ends with the dominant fish bullying the other to death. A single specimen can be housed in 200 litres and does fine, if a little shy. Water should be 25–28°C at pH 6.5–8.0, well oxygenated with a decent current, and shaded at the surface by floating plants. A tight lid is non-negotiable: all archers jump. These are predators that can swallow prey up to about half their own length, so pick tankmates on that basis and avoid anything boisterous or nippy. Wild fish eat insects, spiders, crustaceans and small fish; captive ones take floating pellets and frozen foods greedily. Their breeding biology is entirely undocumented.