Hydrocynus vittatus
Without a doubt the most fearsome freshwater fish in South Africa, the Tigerfish is certainly well deserving of its scientific name – “Hydrocynus” being derived from the Greek for “Water Dog“.
Tigerfish live in schools in large, warm rivers and lakes. In South Africa they are found in the Phongolo River in northern Kwazulu-Natal, as well as the rivers of the Lowveld that are tributaries of the Komati and Limpopo river systems. The species is also found in almost all the major river systems of sub-Saharan Africa beyond our borders and in the Nile.
Tigerfish breed in summer, spawning on seasonally flooded alluvial plains along rivers and lakes. Fully grown females, at more than 70cm (tail excluded) in length and up to 15kg in weight, are considerably bigger than mature males who seldom grow longer than 50cm.
Tigerfish are predators throughout their lives; newly hatched fry feeding on plankton and invertebrates until they’ve grown to about 9cm in length by which time they have an entirely fish-based diet. Their ferocious teeth are continuously replaced throughout their life, which may span about 9 years. Tigerfish often fall prey to the African Fish Eagle owing to the fish’s habit of cruising close to the surface in open water searching for prey.
Tigerfish are a popular target species for recreational anglers and an important source of protein for many African communities.
DeWetsWild 
Ek sal maar wegbly van daardie rivier, Dries.
Mens moet regtig maar mooi dink voor jy in n rivier in Afrika instap. Van bilharzia tot krokodille met tiervisse in die middel!
Sjoe, omtrent probleme, ne!
Dit klink nie of ek graag met my voete in die water gevang wil word met hierdie vis in die rondte nie! Is nogal interessant om te lees hoe hulle voortdurend nuwe tande kry 😯.
Dis nie net vir die tiervisse wat mens moet koes as jy in Afrika se riviere wil dip nie, Corna!
Dis baie waar! Dis dalk hoekom ek eerder verkies om buite die water te wees 😉.
Wouldn’t like to meet one of them in a muddy pond!
Thankfully they avoid muddy places, so at least you’ll see them coming, Tracy! 😀
Very reassuring, Dries. 🙂
😀
They sound fearsome.
They sound so fearsome because they are so fearsome! 😀