In some tropical swamps, there are silent hunters beneath the surface that shoot down their prey—with jets of water. If this fails, they simply jump out and grab their meal.
The remarkable hunting skill described opposite belongs to the unusual and beautiful archerfish. Normally, these fish feed on insects and other small creatures that accidentally fall into the water, like so many other fish species do. Some archerfish also feed on mangrove plants. However, their eyes are always turned skyward, keeping an eye out for any insect that may land on a twig or leaf near the water surface. When an archerfish spots a potential victim, it silently swims up to the surface and positions itself within
