Banded Archerfish (Capsule Aquarium 1 Marinepia Matsushima Aquarium)

[sbell]

So this has been another one I've chased for some time (Thanks Brett!). It is the Banded Archerfish, Toxotes jaculatorix, from the Capsule Aquarium series 1, figure #02. The figure itself is about 4cm long. Assuming an average length of 20cm, this puts the scale at 1:5 (easy math)!

Unlike some of the fish, this archer is pretty meaningful to me--I kept a pair for quite a while in a very cool half-full (mostly) brackish tank along with mudskippers and ropefish. And yes, we got to see them do what they do best--adding crickets for the mudskippers gave the archers opportunity to shoot at them, and they did. Didn't always get the bugs (there were other fish, I think) but it was fun to watch.

Recently, studies were done on these fish and it turns out that they don't just aim (from below the water) and shoot a drop of water; they shift their mouth to adjust and alter the water flow depending on situation. In other words, they are amazing little snipers.

As for the figure itself, it is incredible, an entire scene in one capsule figure. Too bad they couldn't put a bug above the water shot, but I'm not complaining.

I'm also not complaining about extra pieces because this figure may have been one of the most awkward to assemble that I've ever dealt with, and I have several hundred various Kaiyodo figures to draw experience from. Especially the mouth; the lower jaw is a separate piece with the water and it fits in an odd way. I was hoping that the water droplet would be somehow removable for some photos, but the fish would be incomplete then.







Above-the-water views:



Look out, tiny New-Ray fisherman!


So now the question--are these easily available? Unlike some Capsule figures, no, and they never have been. The set they are part of always sells for way of 10000Yen (>$100) on Yahoo Japan Auctions, and I can't recall the last time I saw this figure on ebay--probably when it was first released back in the UTF days (if you know what that means, you know how long ago that was; if you don't know, get off-a my lawn, whippersnapper!). And even then I passed because it was one of the few that always demanded very high (at the time) prices; where most were $5-$10, this one was always >$25.

Another odd note--notice the aquarium. It is not the Enoshima, as I expected. I have the sturgeon form the same series, and it is an Enoshima figure, with the aquaiurm stamped on the bottlecap. But just like my recent Redtail catfish, we appear to have yet another public aquarium, once again re-branding an existing series. It makes me think that this set was recently reintroduced there, if only because of the frequency of auctions in Japan (again, for ridiculous prices...).

[bmathison1972]

this is an awesome figure, and one I'd have gone for a long time ago too if I was more taxonomically diverse in my collecting.

There is the Bandai ladybug on a flower (http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~CH2M-NITU/sciencee.htm) that could be displayed with this figure

[postsaurischian]

  It's a wonderful model of an impressing fish.
Very, very beautiful - congratulations!

[sbell]

this is an awesome figure, and one I'd have gone for a long time ago too if I was more taxonomically diverse in my collecting.

There is the Bandai ladybug on a flower (http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~CH2M-NITU/sciencee.htm) that could be displayed with this figure

The toughest part would be trying to find a bug in the right scale! At 1:5, a 1cm bug would have to be 2mm long! Although if the fish is assumed to be younger, a slightly bigger one would work...

[widukind]

A really wonderful fish!!

[bmathison1972]

this is an awesome figure, and one I'd have gone for a long time ago too if I was more taxonomically diverse in my collecting.

There is the Bandai ladybug on a flower (http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~CH2M-NITU/sciencee.htm) that could be displayed with this figure

The toughest part would be trying to find a bug in the right scale! At 1:5, a 1cm bug would have to be 2mm long! Although if the fish is assumed to be younger, a slightly bigger one would work...

for what it's worth that beetle is about 7mm and clearly my smallest figure! The beetle and flower are considered 'accessories' to the butterfly in the set, but I glued the beetle to the flower and display it with my other coccinellids, while displaying the butterfly with my other papilionids (gotta keep to a taxonomic organization .

[brontodocus]

Awesome! The water spitting effect is so amazing.

[sbell]

this is an awesome figure, and one I'd have gone for a long time ago too if I was more taxonomically diverse in my collecting.

There is the Bandai ladybug on a flower (http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~CH2M-NITU/sciencee.htm) that could be displayed with this figure

The toughest part would be trying to find a bug in the right scale! At 1:5, a 1cm bug would have to be 2mm long! Although if the fish is assumed to be younger, a slightly bigger one would work...

for what it's worth that beetle is about 7mm and clearly my smallest figure! The beetle and flower are considered 'accessories' to the butterfly in the set, but I glued the beetle to the flower and display it with my other coccinellids, while displaying the butterfly with my other papilionids (gotta keep to a taxonomic organization .

See, it's still too big! But closer enough. Now the trick is finding one.

[Jetoar]

Really nice figure  . Water effect is amazing  .