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Hydrocynus
- Hydrocynus is a genus of large characin fish in the family Alestidae commonly called "tigerfish," native to the African continent.
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Tigerfish can refer to fish from various families, and derives from official and colloquial associations of these with the tiger (Panthera tigris). However, the primary species designated by the name "tigerfish" are African and belong to the family Alestidae.
tigerfish, any of several fishes so named on the basis of their pugnacity when caught, their fiercely predaceous habits, or their appearance. In African freshwaters, tigerfishes of the genus Hydrocynus (sometimes Hydrocyon ) are admired game fishes of the characin family, Characidae (order Cypriniformes).
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- They get their name from their appearance, demeanor and size. The name tigerfish is a reference to the black stripes that are often found running down the flanks of these huge fish, as well as their fierce, sharp teeth and rapacious nature; while the word ‘goliath’ refers to their giant size.
- Goliath tigerfish have up to 32 razor-sharp teeth. The upper jaw contains 12-20 teeth, while the lower jaw 8-14. The teeth interlock into matching indents onto the opposite jawline, and protrude slightly from the mouth.
- They have replaceable teeth. Although relatively little study has been carried out on these elusive creatures, a study by Gagiano et al (1996) observed that captive tigerfish would replace all their teeth simultaneously within a period of 5 days, with no replacement having been observed previously!
- They have a double hinged jaw. This means they are able to open their jaws a lot wider than other fish, and as a result its teeth point further forward when it strikes prey, allowing it to take chunks from their flesh.
Hydrocynus goliath, also known as the goliath tigerfish, giant tigerfish, or mbenga, is a very large African predatory freshwater fish of the family Alestidae . Distribution. Hydrocynus goliath is found in the Congo River Basin (including Lualaba River and Lake Upemba ), and Lake Tanganyika.
With the tigerfish, however—and its mouthful of neat, pearly white conical dog-like teeth that interlock with the mechanical precision of a well-engineered gin trap—nature offers a deadly accurate presentation. Many predatory fish have tidy, serrated teeth for slicing and dicing—like wahoo and piranha.
Hydrocynus is a genus of large characin fish in the family Alestidae commonly called "tigerfish," native to the African continent. The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek ὕδωρ ("water" [1]) + κύων ("dog" [1] ). (In fact, this fish is popularly referred to as poisson chien (dog fish) in French-speaking West Africa.)
Jun 3, 2022 · The goliath tigerfish is also known as the giant tigerfish and the giant African tigerfish. It’s occasionally called a Mbenga after the evil spirits of local tribes. 8. Does the goliath tigerfish have any sub-species? There are only one species of goliath tigerfish (Hydrocynus goliath).
