Which I recently showed. They called it partly photoshopped :-)
Therefore, let me show you an even more toothy fish, which most probably already know about. She is very popular on the Internet because she looks very impressive! So, meet...
In the largest river Central Africa Congo There are about 700 species of all kinds of fish. Some of these river inhabitants are quite predatory individuals, capable of posing a threat not only to their river relatives, but also to humans. Tiger fish Goliath ( Hydrocynus goliath) - a representative of just this type of predatory fish. This “river monster,” reaching a length of up to one and a half meters and weighing more than 50 kg, is armed with a set of 32 large and sharp teeth, shaped like fangs.
What Jeremy Wade hooked on was a large tiger fish, or giant hydrocyn (lat. Hydrocynus goliath) from the order Characinidae. She is considered where more dangerous than piranha, and thanks to its 32 fang-like teeth and impressive size, the fish even attacks crocodiles.
The individual that Wade caught weighs 45 kg and is almost 2 meters long. "This is very, very dangerous fish. You need to be careful with her, get distracted and she will bite off your finger, or even worse,” the man said.
Tiger fish Goliath, predatory species fish weighing up to 154 pounds and up to 5 feet long, . Widely known as a ferocious-looking creature with sharp teeth The Goliath fish is just one example of the wide variety of fish species that are found in the Congo River, 80% of which are found nowhere else in the world.
The "monster fish" is capable of swimming in rough waters and can easily grab smaller fish that cannot swim against the current. She is also able to pick up low-frequency vibrations emitted by her prey.
The Congo River is home to 686 species of fish. In an article describing the wonders of the Congo, International Foundation wildlife documented the existence of exotic fish living in its waters. The elephant fish has an electrical organ in its tail, which is used for navigation and communication with its own kind. National Geographic magazine reports that this fish also has long trunk to sift through sediment on the river bottom for food.
Lungfish, unlike most fish, can breathe air. They survive with little or even no oxygen. During the dry season, they burrow into mud holes and become coated in mucus. Many-feathered fish resemble ancient fish, “with lobed fins and a hard, scaly covering.”
Congo River fish are able to adapt to their surrounding conditions with incredible efficiency. Some hide from predators in water hyacinths that grow along the banks of the river, others live in partially submerged fallen trees.
However, some fishermen overfish or use methods that harm fish populations, such as destroying riverside vegetation with herbicides, using explosives and poisons. This has led to a decline in some fish species, which, according to research by the Congo River Conservation and Development Project (CREDP), threatens the river's underwater diversity.
The Goliath fish is not currently endangered, but with the help of Animal Planet it will bring much more attention to the region.
There are 5 known species of tiger fish, but the largest species lives in Africa, exclusively in the Congo River basin. This predator can reach up to 180 centimeters in length and weigh more than 50 kilograms.
A fisherman and an expert on unusual fish managed to catch a giant specimen. freshwater fish Jeremy Wade. He caught one of the largest specimens, weighing up to 154 pounds (about 70 kilograms) and up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) long.
The Goliath tiger fish is popular as a sport fish in Africa. The Congo is the deepest and second longest river in Africa. The depth of the river in the vicinity of Brazzaville reaches 100 meters. The Goliath tiger fish is the largest species of all tiger fish, and the structure of the jaws allows the tiger fish to open its mouth wider than other fish can. predatory fish. This feature makes the mouth even more terrifying, and the fish more attractive as a trophy.
Tiger fish are known in the aquarium hobby; they are kept in exhibition aquariums with shelters and powerful filtration. The water temperature in the aquarium is 23 - 26 °C, water pH is 6.5 - 7.5.
It is extremely difficult to catch such fish, especially for amateurs, since they live in rather remote and inaccessible places of the Congo River, where a guide will not take you.
According to him, holding this fish is not just scary. If you're not careful, she'll bite your finger off or worse.
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sources
ianimal.ru
torchu.ru
borshec.ru
zooeco.com
animalworld.com.ua
IN underwater world, just like on our richly inhabited planet you can meet truly amazing and unique creatures. One of them is the goliath tiger fish.
Large tiger fish - photo
Tiger fish - goliath belongs to a group of fish, the class ray-finned fish, the subclass new-finned fish. Pisces is the goliath of families - African tetras and the genus Tiger fish. Large tiger fish - or otherwise huge hydrocyn (lat. Hydrocynus goliath) hydrocynus - dog, goliath giant which can be translated as Gagan water dog, locals call this fish mbenga - this fish is the most dangerous predator of the African Congo River. Due to the horizontal dark stripes on the sides, the predator is similar to a tiger and is called a tiger. And because of the impressive dimensions of the body, people gave the nickname “Galiath”, who, as is well known, was a great and powerful warrior of a huge 3-meter height. These fish have a very strong powerful body oblong shape. The body of the goliath fish is covered with large scales that have a tint of silver and sometimes gold. The fins of individuals of this genus are small, pointed and bright orange or red. Representatives of large tiger fish, has impressive size length adult can reach 1.80 meters in length and have a mass of 50 kg. Males are larger in size than females.
Goliath fish is a real monster appearance which makes one shiver, fish of this genus have large sharp fangs and a huge mouth, often tiger fish are compared to piranha; they are very similar in their gluttony and bloodthirstiness. The goliath fish, with the help of its 16 large and sharp fangs, 8 fangs each on the lower and upper jaw, calmly tears out entire pieces of flesh from the carcass of its victim. Throughout its life, the predator's old teeth are replaced by new ones. River monsters live from 12 to 15 years.
You can find this fish all over Africa. Tiger fish are most often found in rivers such as the Congo, Senigal, Omo and Nile. Goliath fish loves large rivers and lakes and prefers to swim with its relatives or live with other predators of rivers and lakes. Individual tiger fish have excellent hearing, thanks to which they can hear low-frequency vibrations emanating from the prey. This voracious predator hunts various mammals that inhabit rivers and lakes, mainly the Kambu fish, of which there are countless numbers in the Congo River, but sometimes, in bouts of debilitating hunger, even crocodiles. This fish feeds not only on animal food, but also on plant food; having such a huge size, the tiger fish does not disdain anything. The most powerful predator, hydrocinus, can calmly swim against the current, and less powerful inhabitants who are not capable of this will calmly fall into its mouth. In Africa, there have been cases of goliath fish attacking people, but this was most likely done by mistake.
In African countries, tiger fish fishing for tourists as well as local residents extremely popular and comparable to bear hunting in the forests.
Hydrocynus goliath can be kept in an aquarium big size from 3 thousand liters with a powerful water filter that can recreate a restless seething current. Therefore, keeping this fish in the house is not possible. But in exhibition aquariums and zoos galliath is found.
The Congo is a river that, after the Amazon, ranks second in size and depth, while being the deepest river on the planet. This river crosses the equator 2 times. It is characterized by the fact that its basin contains more than 20 species of small fish and up to 875 representatives large species, including various other flora and fauna. TO major representatives should be attributed 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 fish that feels comfortable in a powerful current, instilling fear and horror in underwater inhabitants 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 thanks to its huge 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 overcomes the powerful current with confidence.
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 food 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 move to smaller tributaries where the females lay great amount caviar, hiding it in dense thickets aquatic vegetation, in shallow water. When Goliath fry are born, they are expected to be very comfortable conditions: warm water and plenty 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 a real, 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. You should prepare for this type of fishing 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 is engaged 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?
On our planet, including in the underwater world, you can truly find amazing creatures. One such creature is the goliath tigerfish or Hydrocynus goliath, which is Latin for “giant water dog.” The article will tell you where this unusual freshwater fish lives in nature, what it looks like, and what it eats. We will also find out whether it is possible to keep this river monster in home aquarium.
Her homeland is Africa. The most comfortable environment for a giant to live are large rivers and lakes: Congo, Senegal, Nile, Omo and Tanganyika. Not found in other places.
Giant hydrocines live in flocks with individuals of their own species or similar ones. They are greedy and insatiable. Perhaps only piranhas are more bloodthirsty than them. They catch fish, aquatic animals and can even attack a crocodile. There are cases of attacks on humans, but these are most likely accidents.
The first description of it was given in 1861.
Locals call the fish mbenga. Fishing for it is not only a popular activity for them, but also a popular entertainment for visitors. This is not an easy task, since no fishing line can withstand the onslaught of its teeth. For fishing, special very durable steel leashes are used.
What does a goliath tiger fish look like?
Her body is powerful, strong, oblong in shape. It is covered with large scales, shimmering with silver and sometimes gold. The fins are small, pointed, red or bright orange.
The head is large with a huge mouth, in which there are 16 large sharp fangs, similar in size to the teeth of a white shark (8 at the top and 8 at the bottom). With these fangs, the goliath tears its prey into pieces. During life, they are replaced by new ones, and old ones fall out.
The fish has excellent hearing and can sense low-frequency vibrations from prey. And it is not difficult for her to move in water with a turbulent current.
This representative of the African family can grow up to 180 cm. The weight of this fish is 50 kg. Males are larger than females. For these huge dimensions she was given the nickname “Goliath”, who, as we know, was a great warrior almost three meters tall. And she is brindle because of the horizontal dark stripes on her sides, very similar to tiger stripes.
Giants live from 12 to 15 years.
Scientists consider the goliath to be a contemporary of dinosaurs. It is very difficult to survive in the places where he lives. That is why the fish went through its evolutionary path and became dangerous creature. However, not only predators, but also humans became a threat to her. Mass catching and poisoning of coastal vegetation with chemicals have significantly reduced the number of the species. Local authorities and environmental services are trying to correct the situation.
What does goliath tiger fish eat?
IN natural conditions its food is small mammals and fish (mainly kamba, which is abundant in the Congo). She does not disdain vegetation and detritus. And in case of severe hunger, it even attacks crocodiles.
A powerful goliath can simply calmly move against the current, and weaker inhabitants who are not capable of this will themselves fall into its mouth.
Is it possible to keep Hydrocynus goliath in an aquarium?
This fish is famous in the aquarium world. She is considered quite. However, due to its size and gregarious lifestyle, it needs huge volumes (from 3 thousand liters) and a lot of food.
A powerful filter capable of creating a rapid current would also not hurt. That is why it is not possible to keep her at home.
But it is found in zoos and exhibition aquariums. They always have powerful filtration configured and shelters are equipped. The bottom most often contains sand, stones and driftwood. Plants are rare. The temperature there is 23-26, acidity 6.5-7.5.
Few neighbors will be able to survive next to a goliath, so most often a species aquarium is equipped for them. Or they plant large and protected fish like arapaima.
Some argue that juveniles can be kept in a home aquarium, but they grow quickly and need to be housed somewhere later. The diet in captivity needs to be varied: live fish, minced meat, shrimp, fish fillet, frozen and artificial feed(granular and pellets, these are balls and cylinders made from various components).
About the reproduction of tiger goliath fish
They do not breed in captivity. Fry are caught in the habitats of these fish.
In nature, spawning occurs during the rainy season (December-January) and lasts only a few days. Goliaths are moving from big rivers into small tributaries, where females lay a lot of eggs in shallow water in thickets. For hatched fry here ideal conditions: safety, warm water and plenty of food. They grow up and are gradually washed back into large rivers.
This might be interesting
Catching these scary freshwater fish is often compared to bear hunting in the taiga. Catching a goliath is not only a dangerous adventure, but also a matter of honor. Fishermen from all over the world come to Africa for this.
One of the lucky people who caught the giant tiger goliath was Jeremy Wide, 52, a freshwater fish expert and host of River Monsters. The journey into remote areas of the Congo and eight days of waiting were rewarded. In his hands was a specimen measuring 1.5 meters and 70 kilograms. Photos of a fearless man holding a dangerous fish with bare hands, is replete with the entire Internet.
Unfortunately, for obvious reasons, it is impossible to place the Goliath tiger fish in your home aquarium. And it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to visit its habitats. But if you are lucky enough to find yourself in a zoo or at an exhibition with this “exhibit,” be sure to look at it. It's worth it.
Popular science video about goliath fish:
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 a large number of various representatives African flora and fauna: more than 20 species of small fish and about 875 large varieties. large crocodiles, small turtles and snakes - 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. It 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, the initial period of life is more than comfortable; it is shallow, 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, so in Africa fishing for it is extremely popular among the local population, it can be compared to happy hunting in the taiga on a bear.
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 can bite 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 host of the program, managed to catch such a gigantic specimen. River Monsters" engaged in fishing with early years. Over his 52 years, having managed to visit the most different points globe, he always brought from there unusual representatives of the 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.
The photo of the Goliath tiger fish, in which it is in the hands of Jeremy, evokes admiration for the experience and fearlessness of this brave man.
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