THEY are the little fish famous for being able to fire “arrows” of water at insects and other small creatures so that they can pounce on their bedraggled prey.

Now Scottish scientists have found that archerfish don’t just calculate where their food will land, but also whether other fish watching them on the hunt will get to it first.

Archerfish are native to Asia and Northern Australia and while they are usually around six inches long, they can spit up to 10ft above the surface to bring down their prey.

New research led by the University of St Andrews and published in Animal Behaviour has discovered that archerfish take longer to make a shot when they are observed by other fish.

St Andrews stated: “When shooting, archerfish need to ‘aim’, lining up their body with and focusing on their target, but sometimes they will aim without shooting. On those occasions the fish will reposition before aiming again and making a shot from a different position or angle.”

The research, led by scientists from the Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution at St Andrews, in collaboration with Bayreuth University, Germany, found that when archerfish are observed by fish in a neighbouring tank, they more frequently aim and reposition before making a shot. This change in behaviour may be a tactic to reduce competition from other archerfish.

St Andrews explained: “Archerfish are capable of rapidly determining where and when a shot prey item will land. Any archerfish that can see a shot being made can work out where the prey will land – as a result they may be able to get the prey item before the fish that made the effort to shoot.

“By hesitating before shooting, archerfish may be able to find the time and position that allows them to reach their prey before a non-shooting thief.

“Archerfish are renowned for behaviours and abilities that are considered cognitively sophisticated, for example being capable of compensating for the effects of light refraction while shooting and even learning to shoot rapidly moving targets.

“However, until recently little research has been conducted on the social factors that may affect them and their performance of their behaviour. This is the first study to be completed as part of a programme of research into social aspects of archerfish behaviour

Lead researcher Nick Jones said: “Archerfish may be famous for their shooting ability, but they may be even more remarkable for their capacity for making rapid decisions with high accuracy.

“Our study suggests that archers are affected by social context and may sacrifice speed to better ensure success when foraging.”