Archer Fish Form Gun Barrel Shape in Mouth When Blasting Insects With Water Jet
Posted on October 25, 2012
Scientists have determined how archer fish are able to blast prey with a stream of water. The fish can blast insects with a water jet 6 times their muscular power. The new research, published in PLoS One, shows the fish generate this power externally using water dynamics rather than with any specialized internal organs.
Alberto Vailati, co-author of the paper from the University of Milan, says in a release, "The origin of the effectiveness of the jet squirted by archer fish has been searched for inside of the fish for nearly 250 years. The striking finding of our work is that a large amplification of muscular power occurs outside of the fish and leads to a very powerful impact of the jet with the prey."
The fish are able to push their tongues into a groove in their mouths, which forms a gun-barrel-like shape to shoot water through. The fish then close their gills to shoot the water. The energy builds at the front of the water jet so that the insect is hit with a force strong enough to knock it into the water, where the fish can eat it.
Vailati told BBC News that the archer fish water jet action is like "when you shoot water... using a water pistol or by squeezing a rubber toy."
Here is a video of footage shot with a high-speed camera from the study as well as an interesting BBC Wildlife video about the archer fish. Take a look: