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Tigerfish can refer to fish from variousfamilies, and derives from official and colloquial associations of these with thetiger (Panthera tigris). However, the primary species designated by the name "tigerfish" are African and belong to the familyAlestidae.
Several species belonging to the genusHydrocynus of the familyAlestidae are referred to as "tigerfish", and are particularly prized asgame fish. TheseAfricanfish are found in many rivers and lakes on the continent and are fierce predators with distinctive, proportionally large teeth.
The goliath tigerfish (Hydrocynus goliath) is among the most famous tigerfish. The largest one on record is said to have weighed 70 kg (154 pounds).[1] It is found in theCongo River system andLake Tanganyika and is the largest member of the family Alestidae. Another famous species, simply called the tigerfish (Hydrocynus vittatus), is commonly found in the southernlyOkavango Delta, and theZambezi River, and also in the two biggest lakes along the Zambezi,Lake Kariba which borders Zimbabwe and Zambia, Kabombo River in Zambia andCabora Bassa in Mozambique, and finally in theJozini dam in South Africa. Both the goliath tigerfish and its smaller relative the tigerfish are found in Africa.
In the western gamefishing world,Hydrocynus vittatus is considered Africa'sequivalent of the South Americanpiranha,[2] though it belongs to a completely different zoological family. Like the piranha, individual tigerfish have interlocking, razor-sharp teeth, along with streamlined, muscular bodies, and are extremely aggressive and capable predators who often hunt in groups. TheAfrican tigerfish has been recorded to attack and catch birds in flight.[3]
The name "tigerfish" has occasionally been used for a species ofcichlid in the genusRhamphochromis. The species is large, silver-coloured, and individuals typically have one or more black lines running the length of either flank. These fish are native toLake Malawi in Africa. Like the other African tigerfish species, they are famed for possessing large, prominent teeth, and they are known to attack humans.[citation needed]
Several species ofCoius (orDatnioides, depending on thetaxonomic authority) have been referred to as "tigerfish", particularly infishkeeping books and magazines. They are large, wide-bodied fish whose flanks are covered by vivid black stripes.
The large South Americancharacins of the familyErythrinidae have also sometimes been called "tigerfish".