
Archerfish are expert hunters, not just because of their aim, but because of their uncanny understanding of refraction - a physical principle that bends light as it moves between air and water. When the archerfish spots an insect perched above the water’s surface, the light rays reflecting off the target bend as they enter the fish’s eyes underwater, creating a visual distortion. To the fish, the insect appears to be in a slightly different location than it really is. Yet, archerfish consistently hit their mark by instinctively adjusting their aim to compensate for this optical shift.
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