Do goliath fish eat it? Goliath tiger fish: description and characteristics

Large tiger fish (lat. Hydrocynus goliath) is the largest representative of the Characiformes order. Belongs to the African tetra family (Alestidae). It is also known as giant hydrocine and goliath fish. Its weight can reach 70 kg, and its fang-like teeth can cause serious injury.

Africans claim that she is not afraid of crocodiles and often attacks people, tearing pieces of meat from their bodies.

In some villages, local men never swim naked, fearing an unexpected meeting with a bloodthirsty monster, and Europeans are advised to wear tight-fitting swimming trunks and swimsuits.

Spreading

This species is found in a limited area in the western and central regions Democratic Republic Congo and northern Zambia. It inhabits the waters of the Congo River and its tributaries, as well as freshwater lakes Upemba and Tanganyika, where there are areas with relatively fast currents.

Goliath fish has not yet been found in other regions of Africa. 4 are more common related species, members of the genus Hydrocynus. They have similar features and behavior, but are smaller in size than the Congo River monster. They are all attracted to warm bodies of water with muddy and oxygenated water.

Behavior

Giant hydrocine is different wild temperament and incredible gluttony. He eats everything he can catch. Its diet is based on tetras of the genera Brycinus and Micralestes, which live in the upper and middle layers of water bodies, and barbs from the family Cyprinidae. On Lake Tanganyika, the Tanganyin lake sardine dominates the menu.

Predator uses various methods hunting. Young animals most often gather in schools and their habits resemble piranhas. Adults usually hunt from ambush, making lightning-fast lunges towards the prey. They are able to jump out of the water and grab low-flying birds in mid-flight or wait for small mammals coming to drink.

In 2014, biologists from the Northwestern University in Potchefstroom (South Africa) managed to record on video how giant hydrocines skillfully catch swallows flying over the water surface, jumping out of the water to a height of up to 2 m.

Despite their bloodthirstiness, large tiger fish are quite shy and afraid of the presence of large animals. They soberly assess their strengths and do not try to expose themselves to danger once again. As a rule, when they notice a person, they hide and try not to reveal their presence.

For this reason, sport fishing for these monsters is considered very prestigious, but is rarely successful. Trophies are caught by chance and far from public fishing areas.

Goliath fish are dangerous mainly for small children.

Cases of attacks on adults are rare and, according to Africans, are associated with infiltration evil spirit mbenga. Ichthyologists with rational thinking associate them simply with the deterioration of the river monster’s vision, which is why it loses the ability to correctly determine the dimensions of its potential victim.

The prey is swallowed whole. If this cannot be done, then it is torn into small pieces. Leading role in hunting and orientation in aquatic environment plays the lateral line, a sensitive organ running from the gill slits to the base of the tail.

There is no reliable information about the reproduction of Hydrocynus goliath in natural conditions.

Description

The average body length is 132 cm and weight is 30 kg. Maximum length 180 cm. The physique is elongated and spindle-shaped, with age dorsal part rises upward due to the development of the adipose fin. The head is large and massive. The eyes are large, providing excellent vision. Sexual dimorphism is weakly expressed. Males are slightly larger than females.

The color is predominantly bluish. The back is darker than the belly. The stripes along the body are faintly visible or absent altogether. The caudal fin is large and forked. In juveniles it is pink or has a red edge. The lower jaw protrudes forward.

The mouth contains 32 sharp, needle-shaped triangular teeth, the sides of which are sharp as blades. Their length reaches 3.5 cm. The upper jaw has two joints that allow the mouth to open very wide.

Large tiger fish are kept in marine pools. In Paris, it can be seen in the Tropical Aquarium at the Porte Doré Palace. The pleasure will cost 19.5 euros.

Feeding is done using special tweezers only with live fish 3-4 times a week. It has not yet been possible to obtain offspring in captivity.

Awesome appearance This fish inspires fear not only among local residents. But also for any sane person. This fish first came under description in 1861. The fish was named after the huge warrior Goliath from the Bible. Dark stripes on the sides, and often a golden tint and size give reason to call it Tiger fish. Locals call this silver-scaled fish Mbenga.

External description

Fishing for such a predator definitely cannot be called quiet hunt. Few fearless fishermen and thrill-seekers can boast of such prey.

It lives among similar predators, and for both protection and food it has huge fangs. Fangs complicate the hunt for this predator; it chews or simply tears any fishing line. To solve this problem, a thin steel line is usually used. Only such a strong fishing line can really catch this freshwater monster. The number of fangs in an adult is 16, small in number, but powerful in action, they tear the victim quickly and easily. Throughout life, fangs can fall out and new, sharp ones grow in their place.

The size of the fish is impressive: the length reaches 180 cm, and the weight more than 50 kg. But scientists suggest that the length can reach 2 meters. Goliath has a powerful body and a strong head. Although the fish is large, it is quite agile and fast. The pointed fins are either orange or red in color. The scales are difficult to penetrate and are an excellent defense against other predators. The mouth opens wider than other predators underwater inhabitants, and this gives a greater chance of winning when attacked. There are five species of tiger fish, and the goliath is considered the largest. The monster is often compared to a piranha, but the piranha does not reach such huge sizes.

Nutrition

There were cases attacks on crocodiles. Can eat an animal or person caught in the water. Usually the predator feeds on smaller organisms. Goliath either hunts prey or catches weak fish that cannot cope with rapid current. The main food is Kamba. The ability to pick up low-frequency vibrations does not bode well for mining. In other words, if a predator hears the vibrations and is hungry, there is no chance of escape. But such ferocity does not guarantee a complete rejection of plant foods.

Habitats

For such loot you will have to go to central Africa , or rather, to the Congo River basin, where they are greatest number. The Congo itself is the second longest river in the world. In terms of full flow, the river ranks first. Fishing here is thriving, as not only Goliath, but also many other fish swim in the Congo Basin. Many are listed in the Red Book and, accordingly, are considered very rare. Scientists count just under a thousand species living in this river. Such a catch can be a search and catch reward for several weeks.

Main habitats:

It can be found mainly in the listed places, but this creature does not swim beyond the continent of Africa.

Life expectancy is 12-15 years. Females spawn over several days, this occurs in December-January. The fish first swim into the tributaries of the river. Spawning occurs in shallow water and in areas with high vegetation. The fry grow just in places with enough food and without blades from most predators. And gradually gaining strength and weight, they are carried by the current to deeper places.

In captivity, goliaths are kept mainly in commercial aquariums. I can’t reach fish like that in them large sizes. The average length of an aquarium inhabitant varies from 50 to 75 centimeters. They can mainly be seen in exhibition aquariums. The basic standards for content are:

presence of an aquarium (minimum 2,500 liters);
To feed tiger fish, a constant huge amount of food is needed. This is mainly fish and adapted food;
because of the love for flow, you will need to come up with a system with a flow;
comfortable temperature is 23-26 degrees.

Coexistence with other species is possible, but they must be able to defend themselves. Fish do not reproduce in captivity, so you will have to think about this issue too.

Survival in nature

Adults, despite the fact that they can fully exist independently, prefer to gather in flocks. Tiger fish can be collected either by one species or with other individuals.

Scientists are sure that Goliath is a contemporary of dinosaurs. It is a fact that in the waters where the goliath lives there is a huge competition for survival. And for the sake of life, the goliath evolved into this dangerous creature. But it’s not just other predators that tiger fish should be wary of. Widespread fishing gives less and less chance of continued existence. In addition to fishing, some people destroy vegetation along the banks of the river with chemicals for the sake of catch. Accordingly, this has a negative effect on future fry. On at the moment Environmentalists and the local government are trying to solve this problem.

The Congo is a river that, after the Amazon, ranks second in size and fullness, while being the most deep river on the planet. This river crosses the equator 2 times. It is characterized by the fact that in its basin there are more than 20 species of small fish and up to 875 representatives of large species, including various other representatives of flora and fauna. Major representatives include giant monitor lizards, large crocodiles, turtles, snakes, etc. About 250 species are rare species, and some of them are still unknown to science.

This river is indeed characterized by a strong and powerful current, which has a serious impact on evolutionary development many types of fish. Some species of fish are not able to resist the current, so they accumulate in certain sectors, as well as in certain areas. Thanks to such factors, many unusual representatives of flora and fauna appeared in the river basin. Among the monsters that inhabit the Congo River basin, there are those that can easily cope with the river's flow. Goliath fish is exactly the kind of fish that feels comfortable in a powerful current, instilling fear and terror in the underwater inhabitants of the Congo River.

Potential victims unable to withstand the conditions powerful current, they themselves fall into the mouth of this powerful and strong fish.

The fish got its name due to its enormous size, which characterized the warrior Goliath, who had a height of 2 meters 89 cm. Due to the presence of horizontal dark stripes on the back, this fish is also called “tiger”. This river monster first became known in 1861. This predator can be found in large and large rivers ah and lakes such as the Congo River, Nile, Senegal, Omo, as well as in Lake Tanganyika. Naturally, such a river monster chooses large bodies of water. The predator leads a gregarious lifestyle, both with its relatives and with predators of other species. As a rule, males are much larger than females.

Goliath fish: description

This fish has a strong, elongated body, covered with large scales, silvery in color. The fins are distinguished by a red or bright orange hue, with pointed edges. In other words, the body of a goliath fish is the characteristic body of a predator. Its parameters:

The length is about 2 meters.
The fish weighs 50 kg, or even more.
The predator lives for about 15 years.
The head is large, as is the large mouth.
The number of teeth is 32, razor-sharp, which allows the fish to simply tear potential prey into pieces without chewing. New teeth grow in place of lost teeth.
The predator has excellent hearing, as well as the ability to sense prey through low-frequency vibrations.
The fish confidently overcomes the powerful current.

Goliath tiger fish: what does it eat?

The fish is omnivorous and in its gluttony and bloodthirstiness it can easily be compared with piranha fish. The main source of diet is fish, as well as plant foods and detritus, including small mammals.

There have been cases and documented attacks of this fish on crocodiles and even on humans when this predator lacked nutrition.

The female goliath fish spawns during the rainy season, from December to January. To spawn, the fish moves to smaller tributaries, where the females lay a huge amount of eggs, hiding them in dense thickets of aquatic vegetation in shallow water. When goliath fry are born, very comfortable conditions await them: warm water and an abundance of food. As they grow older, they have to move to large rivers with intense currents. Moreover, after the end of the rainy season, some small tributaries of a large river may dry up.

Goliath fish is considered the most dangerous and terrible freshwater fish, and fishing for it is equivalent to hunting a bear. In this regard, many local fishermen practice catching this monster and consider it a kind of duty. In addition to local fishermen, every year many amateur fishermen from all continents come to the banks of the Congo River to “tickle” their nerves and test themselves in extreme conditions. This kind of fishing is the real thing, sometimes dangerous adventure. Despite this, Goliath fish is a coveted trophy for any angler.

Still, catching a tiger fish is not so easy, since its sharp teeth can bite through fishing line of any diameter. Therefore, fishing is carried out using durable leashes made of steel and other materials. This is the only way to count on success. TO similar type fishing should be prepared in advance and carefully.

Jeremy Wade, who is an expert on river species fish and the hosts of the TV program “River Monsters” managed to catch this giant predator. And this is all thanks to experience, since this person has been fishing since childhood. During his 52 years of life, he managed to visit various parts of our planet, where he managed to catch unusual representatives of the underwater world.

To catch the much-coveted prey, the monster hunter had to spend more than a week visiting the most inaccessible places of the Congo River. He was rewarded for his stubbornness, and he came across a fish weighing 70 kg and up to one and a half meters long.

In the photo you can see what kind of giant Jeremy caught. The photo also shows what powerful teeth and what a huge mouth this huge predator has. All that remains is to admire the experience and fearlessness of this man. What is it worth to visit such difficult conditions of the Congo River, when dangerous surprises await you at every step?

Do you think that there is nothing worse than piranha in freshwater rivers? Then meet: big tiger fish or giant hydrocinus (lat. Hydrocynus goliath) - a larger version of the bloodthirsty Amazonian predator.

Its body length reaches one and a half meters with a weight of about 50 kg - piranhas never dreamed of such dimensions! At the same time, the tiger fish’s mouth is filled with 32 large and sharp fangs, thanks to which it can even attack crocodiles. Yes, yes, this is a real killing machine, which is feared by all the inhabitants of the Congo River and lakes Tanganyika and Upemba, where this river monster lives.

Of course, the giant hydrocin is not as bloodthirsty as the piranha, but this does not make its prey any easier. It feeds on smaller river and lake inhabitants that have the misfortune of getting in its way. Particularly unlucky small fish called kamba, which hydrocin considers his dessert.

It is not so easy to escape from a strong and agile tiger fish: it has a habit of swimming against the current, devouring along the way weaker fish that cannot cope with the powerful flow of the Congo River. In addition, it reacts with lightning speed to sudden movement nearby or a splash of water, and is even capable of picking up low-frequency vibrations of its victims. So they have no chance.

However, the big tiger fish got its name not only for its predatory nature. Along the sides of her body there are horizontal dark stripes that make her color similar to a tiger. The fins are most often orange or red, and during the breeding season their color becomes especially bright. Interestingly, male large tiger fish are usually much larger than females.

As for the Latin name - Hydrocynus goliath - the fish received it solely due to its gigantic growth. After all, it is known that the Philistine warrior Goliath was the largest and strongest among his fellow tribesmen - his height reached 2 m 89 cm. And although the large tiger fish cannot boast of such dimensions, it still received the name of the warrior.

But the locals call her Mbenga. They often talk about cases of attacks on careless fishermen: one’s finger was bitten off, another’s hand was injured. It is quite natural that the natives do not really like to mess with her.

Either way, the Europeans just let them catch someone bigger. Briton Jeremy Wade, host of the “River Monsters” program on the Animal Planet channel, even went to the very wilds of the Congo River for this purpose, where he spent 8 days waiting for a good catch. Of course, he was not there alone, but in the company of his assistants - the film crew of the program.

If anyone should have caught the giant hydrocine, it would have been Jeremy. After all, he is engaged in fishing with early childhood and in his 52 years he managed to visit different places globe, bringing from there the most unusual representatives of the river fauna.

Finally, luck turned to the desperate fisherman: he managed to catch a large tiger fish. Yes, not a simple one, but one of the largest representatives of the species: its body length was 1.5 m, and its weight was as much as 70 kg. Magnificent fish trophy!

The Congo is the deepest river on the planet, the second in the world (after the Amazon) in terms of depth and length, approximately 4,700 km. The only water channel that crosses the equator twice has in its rich basin large number diverse representatives of African flora and fauna: more than 20 species of small fish and about 875 large varieties. large crocodiles, small turtles and snakes are far from full list inhabitants of such a luxurious reserve. About 250 species of them are rare, and most are simply unknown to science.

Congo - the river that sheltered the monster

Due to the strong current, it is a kind of evolutionary cauldron that contributes to the isolation of fish in certain sectors. This is due to the powerlessness of the latter before the power of the current. This forced isolation contributes to the emergence large number unusual representatives of the animal world. The only individual that feels comfortable in the frantic play of the current is the Goliath tiger fish, an aquatic monster that inspires fear and awe.

The river flow itself carries potential victims into its mouth, unable to resist the power of the water element.

The fish got its nickname from gigantic size, for which the great warrior Goliath, who had a height of 2 m 89 cm, was famous. And it is called “tiger” for the horizontal dark stripes on the sides of the body. The large goliath tiger fish was first described in 1861. The African inhabitant is most often found in and in the rivers of the Congo, Nile, Senegal, and Omo. - the most comfortable environment for a river giant to live. Can lead a gregarious lifestyle with individuals of its own species or predators similar to itself. Males are an order of magnitude larger than females.

Goliath: description of a predator

The Goliath tiger fish with a strong elongated body covered with large silvery scales and small pointed fins (red or bright orange) has all the qualities unique to a predator:

Length - up to 2 meters.
Weight - 50 kg or more.
Life expectancy: 12 - 15 years.
Very large head with a large mouth.
With 32 teeth, sharpened like a razor, the Goliath tiger fish grabs and tears the victim without even chewing it. Throughout life, new teeth grow in place of lost teeth.
Excellent hearing, as well as the ability to sense prey by low-frequency vibrations.
Ability to move easily in rough waters.

Goliath tiger fish: what does it eat?

IN natural environment the fish is omnivorous, its main food is fish and small mammals, although plant foods and detritus are also included in the diet of the river monster, which in its bloodthirstiness can compete with the Amazonian piranha.

During periods of hunger, the goliath is capable of attacking humans, and sometimes does not disdain crocodiles; these cases have been recorded in nature.

In nature, female goliath tiger fish spawn for only a few days, during the rainy season (December - January). Migrating from large rivers to small tributaries, females lay large quantities of eggs among dense vegetation in shallow places. For hatched fry initial period life is more than comfortable, this is shallow water, warm water and an abundance of food. Over time, the grown-up individuals are washed out into large rivers.

Hunting a monster is a matter of honor

The Goliath tiger fish is one of the most terrible freshwater fish in the world, therefore in Africa, fishing for it is extremely popular among the local population; it can be compared to a successful bear hunt in the taiga.

For every angler, such fishing is a real adventure that turns dangerous predator into an unfortunate victim and desired prey, for which fishermen from all over the world come to hunt on the banks of the Congo River.

The Goliath tiger fish is the most terrible freshwater fish in the world, so it is quite difficult to catch this giant, since with its sharp teeth it is capable of cutting through fishing line of any thickness. Knowledgeable fishermen use special leashes that are made of very durable steel. This is the only way to fish a giant out of its habitat and get to know it on land.

Jeremy Wade, an expert on freshwater fish and the presenter of the program " River Monsters" engaged in fishing with early years. During his 52 years, having visited various parts of the globe, he always brought from there unusual representatives of river fauna.

For more than a week, the hunter plowed the hard-to-reach places of the river, for which he was rewarded with a long-awaited catch. A giant weighing 70 kg and 1.5 meters long finally fell into his hands.