Goliath Tigerfish

Hydrocynus goliath

Goliath Tigerfish

“ Fish on steroids.. ”

– Nathan Tim

Scientific Taxonomy & Character Information

Domain: Eukaryota

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Actinopterygii

Order: Characiformes

Family: Alestidae

Genius: Hydrocynus

Species: Hydrocynus goliath

Descendant: Alesitdae

Named by: George Albert Boulenger

Year Published: 1898

Size: 1.5 m (4.9 ft) and a weight of 50 kg (110 lb)

Lifespan: 10–15 years

Type: Bony Fishes (African Tetras)

Title: 

Pantheon: Terran/Gaian

Time Period: Holocene

Alignment: Territorial

Threat Level: ★★★★★★★★

Diet: Carnivorous

Elements: Water, combat, dark

Inflicts: Waterblight, bleeding

Weaknesses: all

Casualties: n/a

Based On: itself

Conservation Status: Least Concern (LC) – IUCN Red List

The goliath tigerfish (Hydrocynus goliath), also known as giant tigerfish or mbenga, is one of the species of tigerfish found in the Congo River. In the Worldcraft series, the Nailtooth fish is a descendant of the goliath tigerfish as well.

Etymology

“Tigerfish” is a nickname given to several different species of African fish. They’re all vicious, sharp-toothed creatures, so the ferocious name is fitting.


“Goliath” refers to the giant from the story of David and Goliath. Goliath tigerfish are the largest members of the five species in the genus Hydrocynus. The first part of its scientific name, Hydrocynus goliath, comes from Greek, meaning hydro (water) and kyon (dog). However, some French-speaking African cultures call this fish Poisson Chien (dogfish) instead of tigerfish because of the same behavior as wild dogs, pet dogs, or wolves in the river.

Physical Appearance

The goliath tigerfish looks like a regular fish on steroids. It’s four times the size of a piranha, and it has a series of sharp, jagged fangs that stick out of its mouth.


Its scales are white, yellow, brown, and gray, with a golden flush around the face. Their size and body are undetermined; most of the tigerfish sizes are long and slim; some of those things are larger and fat, as ferocious as hell.


The eyes are all pupils, so it looks like the goliath tigerfish is constantly alert and ready to attack. The dorsal fin is upright, which might give you shark vibes. Three smaller fins are found below the belly.


The goliath tigerfish measures anywhere from 4–5 feet long when fully grown. Goliaths are sexual dimorphism species; the goliath tigerfish weighs between 90 and 100 pounds (41 and 45 kg). It’s been suggested that females are smaller than males, but this is anecdotal data and not anything verified by researchers.


The largest documented catch for the goliath tigerfish was 4.9 feet long and 154 pounds (70 kg). That’s the size of a small adult! 😳


Hydrocynus goliath is the largest member of the family Alestidae. Locals near the Congo River Basin call this species M'Benga, which means "the dangerous fish" in a Swahili dialect. This species lives only in the Congo basin. 😳

Abilities

When hunting, the goliath tigerfish uses the calmer eddies of the rapids to ambush its prey, using its keen sight to detect prey. When a target is noticed, the fish accelerates to chase it down.

Ecology

Hydrocynus goliath is a piscivore, feeding on any fish it can overpower, including smaller members of the same species. Goliath tigerfish are piscivores, meaning they will eat other fish. In the wild, they eat catfish, angelfish, carp, cichlids, and gobies. A number of incidents have been reported in the Congo of this fish attacking humans.


When hunting, this fish uses the calmer eddies of the rapids to ambush its prey, using its keen sight to detect prey. When a target is noticed, the fish accelerates to chase it down. The Nile crocodile is the only known predator of mature goliath tigerfish.

Behavior

Goliath tigerfish are very aggressive species towards everything on sight. Confused, the young maidens are afraid of this ferocious fish in the desert lake.

Conservation

Hydrocynus goliath is not a threatened species, but it was listed as having least concern status due to commercial properties for fishing, overexploitation, pollution, and habitat loss, among other reasons.

Distribution and Habitat

This tigerfish species lives in larger rivers and lakes in the Congo River basin, including the Lualaba River, Lake Upemba, and Lake Tanganyika.


Tamed

Tigerfish can be tamed in a fish basket used for petting and put in your own artificial lake.

Lore

Coming soon

Gallery

Foreign Languages

Trivia