In the vast wetland systems that make up the Congo Basin in Africa, there swims a fish that could have finned its way from the set of a horror movie. The goliath tigerfish might be unremarkable in form, with a sleek, muscular body that is perfectly weighted for powerful river currents, but its mouth is the stuff of nightmares.
Measuring up to 2.5cm in length, the 32 teeth of a goliath tigerfish are comparable in size to those of a great white shark. Wielded by powerful jaws, they enable this predator to tackle fish almost as large as itself.
. With a single bite, prey can be incapacitated or often killed, then to be crushed and crunched by the grinding pharyngeal teeth that are situated in the tigerfish’s throat.
With a single bite, prey can be incapacitated or sliced in half, by fearsome, razor-sharp teeth the same size as a great white's. Its pharyngeal teeth, which are situated in the tigerfish’s throat, then tear and process chunks of flesh.
There are five species within the African tigerfish genus Hydrocynus, a name derived from the Greek for ‘water dog’. The feline link comes from the stripes that run along the flanks of the body, although the teeth are suggestive of any super-predator. Those stripes are less vivid on Hydrocynus goliath, but what it lacks in tigerish camouflage it makes up for in sheer size.
The goliath tigerfish can grow to 2 metres long and weigh as much as 70kg, although adults average around half of that size. The fins are slim and pointed, matching that streamlined body shape, while the tail is narrow but deep, capable of aiding stability in the current while delivering powerful acceleration when attacking prey. The scales are fairly small and uniform, diamond in shape and glistening in silver.
The small, rounded eyes seem less conspicuous given the prominence of those enormous, crocodilian, teeth. Aside from humans, the crocodile is probably the only predator of adult goliath tigerfish, although smaller specimens might be eaten by other fish, including their own kind.
Goliath tigerfish have an unfussy diet and have been known to take chunks from animals larger than themselves, including people. Attacks are rare, and invariably due to the fish being stimulated by movement or a flash of colour, although the damage would remain severe.
The goliath’s reputation has led to its local name mbenga, meaning ‘dangerous fish’, and the people of the Congo have long believed it to be a portent of evil. To anglers from further afield, the power and ferocity of the goliath tigerfish are alluring qualities, and it has become one of the most sought-after freshwater gamefish in the world.
The largest specimens are typically solitary, although females will often congregate to spawn. The eggs are deposited in areas of dense weed or vegetation, often in shallow water, where the resulting fry should remain hidden.
They are independent from birth, and relatively slow growing, reaching sexual maturity after 3 to 5 years. This is a breeding strategy that seems to work; goliath tigerfish are classified as ‘Least Concern’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), meaning mbenga should haunt the Congo basin for many years to come.
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