Toxotes lorentzi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Toxotes lorentzi |
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The primitive archerfish, also called Lorentz's archerfish, is a cool freshwater fish. Its scientific name is Protoxotes lorentzi. You can find this fish in the warm streams and swamps of northern Australia, Indonesia (in a place called Irian Jaya), and Papua New Guinea. A scientist named Weber first described it in 1910.
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What Does the Primitive Archerfish Look Like?
This interesting fish can grow to be about 69 to 150 millimeters long, which is roughly 2.7 to 6 inches. Some have even been seen as long as 230 millimeters (about 9 inches)!
The primitive archerfish is usually a shiny silver-tan or brown color. It has a dark spot near its front fins. Unlike some other archerfish, Protoxotes lorentzi often doesn't have many patterns like stripes or spots. If it does, they are usually very light.
This fish has five small, sharp bones on its back fin, called dorsal spines. It also has special comb-like parts called gill rakers inside its gills, which help it filter food from the water. Most have three gill rakers, but some can have two or four. It also has fewer than 38 scales along its lateral line, which is a special line of sensors on its side that helps it feel vibrations in the water.
How Scientists Study the Primitive Archerfish
When Max Carl Wilhelm Weber first described Protoxotes lorentzi in 1910, he thought it was the most "primitive" (meaning oldest or most basic) type of archerfish. This was because it didn't have many markings and its back fin was straight.
Later, another scientist named Gilbert Whitley agreed with this idea. In 1950, he even created a new group, or "genus," just for this fish, calling it Prototoxotes. This showed he believed it was very different from other archerfish.
For a while, other scientists weren't sure if Whitley was right. They thought Protoxotes was just another name for the main archerfish group, Toxotes. But more recently, scientists used modern methods, including DNA tests and looking closely at the fish's body parts. Their studies showed that Whitley was actually correct! The primitive archerfish is indeed unique enough to have its own special group.
How Does the Primitive Archerfish Live?
Like other archerfish, Protoxotes lorentzi is a clever hunter. It eats insects that live on land. It does this by shooting a stream of water from its mouth! It aims at insects on plants hanging over the water. When the insects fall into the water, the fish quickly eats them. These insects are a very important part of its diet.
Where Does the Primitive Archerfish Live?
You can find Protoxotes lorentzi in several places. In the Northern Territory of Australia, it lives in areas like Yam Creek, the Finniss River, and parts of the South Alligator River system, including Sawcut Creek, Deaf Adder Creek, and Baroalba Creek.
It's also common in the Fly River Delta in Papua New Guinea. You can also find it in the Balima River and the Merauke River in central southern New Guinea.
This fish usually lives in swamps and along the edges of streams where there are lots of plants. It prefers to stay near the surface of the water.
Because the primitive archerfish is found in many places and doesn't seem to have big threats, scientists consider it a species of "Least Concern" for now. This means it's not currently at risk of disappearing.
