{{Short description|Species of fish}} {{Speciesbox | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Hammer, M. |date=2019 |title=''Protoxotes lorentzi'' |volume=2019 |article-number=e.T169364A123379678 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T169364A123379678.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref> | image = | parent_authority = Whitley, 1950 | taxon = Protoxotes lorentzi | authority = (Weber, 1910) | synonyms = {{Species list |Toxotes lorentzi|Weber, 1910 }} | synonyms_ref = <ref name="allen"/> }} '''''Protoxotes lorentzi''''' is a tropical freshwater fish found in streams and swamps of the Northern Territory of Australia and the island of New Guinea.<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /><ref name="berra">{{cite book|last1=Berra|first1=Tim M.|title=Freshwater fish distribution|url=https://archive.org/details/freshwaterfishdi00berr|url-access=limited|date=2008|publisher=University of Chicago Press|location=Chicago, Ill.|isbn=978-0-226-04442-2|pages=[https://archive.org/details/freshwaterfishdi00berr/page/n460 422]–423|edition=Nachdruck.}}</ref><ref name="Fishbase">{{Fishbase|Toxotes|lorentzi |id=12175}}</ref> It is the only member of the genus '''''Protoxotes'''''.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cof genus|genus=Protoxotes}}</ref> It was first named by Weber in 1910,<ref name="Fishbase"/> and is commonly known as the '''primitive archerfish''' or '''Lorentz's archerfish'''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Species ''Toxotes lorentzi'' Weber, 1910|url=https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/Toxotes_lorentzi |website=Australian Faunal Directory}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fishbase.org/comnames/CommonNamesList.php?ID=12175&GenusName=Toxotes&SpeciesName=lorentzi&StockCode=12501 |title=Common names for ''Toxotes lorentzi'' |website=fishbase.org}}</ref>
== Taxonomy and description == ''Protoxotes lorentzi'' is believed to range in length from {{convert|69|–|150|mm|in}}, though specimens reaching {{convert|230|mm}} in length have been observed.<ref name="autecology"/> ''P. lorentzi'' normally has five dorsal spines and is a silvery tan or brown colour, with a dark pectoral base. While bars and spots are distinct features of other members of the genus, ''T. lorentzi'' usually has no markings, or else very faint bars on its sides.<ref name="allen"/> ''P. lorentzi'' usually has three gill rakers on the lower limb of its first branchial arch, but two and four are also possible. It usually has fewer than 38 scales on its lateral line.<ref name="allen"/>
''Protoxotes lorentzi'' was described by Max Carl Wilhelm Weber in 1910.<ref name="weber1910">{{cite journal|last1=Weber|first1=Max|title=Neue Fische aus Niederländisch Süd-Neu-Guinea|journal=Notes from the Leyden Museum|volume=32|pages=225–240|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/13217655}}</ref> It was initially believed that ''P. lorentzi'' is the most "primitive" species of archerfish due to its lack of markings and straight dorsal line, a view that Weber endorsed;<ref name="allen"/> Gilbert Whitley, who shared this view, reclassified ''T. lorentzi'' under the new monotypic genus ''Prototoxotes'' which he erected for it in 1950.<ref name="whitley">{{cite journal|last1=Whitley|first1=Gilbert P.|title=Studies in ichthyology. No. 14|journal=Records of the Australian Museum|date=27 January 1950|volume=22|issue=3|pages=234–245|doi=10.3853/j.0067-1975.22.1950.604|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Girard |first=M G |last2=Davis |first2=M P |last3=Tan |first3=H H |last4=Wedd |first4=D J |last5=Chakrabarty |first5=P |last6=Ludt |first6=W B |last7=Summers |first7=A P |last8=Smith |first8=W L |date=2022-03-21 |title=Phylogenetics of archerfishes (Toxotidae) and evolution of the toxotid shooting apparatus |journal=Integrative Organismal Biology |article-number=obac013 |doi=10.1093/iob/obac013 |issn=2517-4843|doi-access=free |hdl=1808/33666 |hdl-access=free |pmc=9259087 }}</ref> Later authors initially disputed the assertion that ''T. lorentzi'' is more primitive and considered ''Protoxotes'' a synonym of ''Toxotes''.<ref name="allen"/> However, the first comprehensive analysis that included both DNA sequence data and morphological data supported Whitley's assertion and recommended that this species be classified in ''Protoxotes'' given the clear separation and redundancy of Toxotidae and ''Toxotes'' in recent classifications.<ref name=":0" />
== Behaviour == Like other archerfish, ''P. lorentzi'' feeds on terrestrial insects by shooting a stream of water onto low-hanging vegetation at the edges of streams and capturing the insects as they fall into the water.<ref name="autecology"/> Such insects are believed to make up a significant portion of its diet.<ref name="autecology"/>
== Distribution and habitat == The range of ''Protoxotes lorentzi'' includes a handful of areas in the Northern Territory of Australia: the Timor Sea drainage at Yam Creek, the Finniss River, and Sawcut Creek, Deaf Adder Creek, and Baroalba Creek, part of the South Alligator River system. In addition, it is also common in the Fly River Delta. Its range also includes the Balima River and the Merauke River of central southern New Guinea.<ref name="autecology">{{cite web|last1=Bishop|first1=KA|last2=Allen|first2=SA|last3=Pollard|first3=DA|last4=Cook|first4=MG|title=Ecological studies on the freshwater fishes of the Alligator River Region, Northern Territory: Autecology|url=http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/dd133e7c-2565-4683-991f-db30856a50ca/files/ssr145.pdf|website=Environment Australia|publisher=Supervising Scientist|access-date=28 April 2016}}</ref>
''Protoxotes lorentzi'' generally inhabits swamps and the edges of streams with vegetative cover. It is most commonly observed in surface waters.<ref name="allen">{{cite journal|last1=Allen|first1=Gerald R|title=A REVIEW OF THE ARCHERFISHES (FAMILY TOXOTIDAE)|journal=Records of the Western Australian Museum|date=31 December 1978|volume=6|issue=4|pages=355–378|url=http://museum.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/A%20REVIEW%20OF%20THE%20ARCHERFISHES%20(FAMILY%20TOXOTIDAE).pdf|access-date=28 April 2016}}</ref><ref name="autecology"/>
Because ''P. lorentzi'' has wide distribution and no major widespread threats are known, IUCN considers it to be of "Least Concern".<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" />
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q5419279}}
Category:Archerfish Category:Monotypic Perciformes genera Category:Taxa named by Gilbert Percy Whitley