Goliath tigerfish (Hydrocynus goliath)

Photo by 116916927065934112165 on iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0

FishActive now (October)

Goliath tigerfish

Hydrocynus goliath

When
Active all year, though the way you fish or find it changes with the season.
Where it holds
The Congo River and its big tributaries and lakes — fast, oxygen-rich water in deep channels and the eddies beside rapids.
How to know it
A heavy, silver-grey tigerfish with a thick, tuna-like body, a black adipose fin and enormous dagger-like teeth — the largest of all the tigerfish.
What to know
The mbenga of the Congo, and one of the most fearsome fish in fresh water. Few anglers ever get a shot at one; a trip for it is a full expedition.
The tactic
Whole or cut fish bait, or big lures, on heavy tackle and a strong wire trace, worked through the eddies below rapids.
Caution
Remote, fast and dangerous water: go only with an experienced local outfitter, and handle the jaws with long pliers — those teeth take chunks out of large fish.

Seasons, size limits and catch limits change every year and differ by water body. Check the current regulations for the country and the water before you fish.

Goliath tigerfish facts

Also called
Giant tigerfish; mbenga, the Congo name.
Family
Alestidae, the African tetras.
Native range
The Congo River basin, from the lower Congo up to the upper Lualaba and Lake Upemba, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo; also reported from Lake Tanganyika.
Habitat
Lakes and large rivers, especially fast, oxygen-rich water in deep channels. It ambushes prey from the calmer eddies beside rapids.
Water temperature
Warm, tropical water: FishBase gives 23–26°C (73–79°F).
Size
Most adults 60–110 cm (24–43 in); the largest measured about 133 cm (52 in).
Record
IGFA all-tackle world record: 44 kg (97 lb), Raymond Houtmans, Zaire (Congo) River, Kinshasa, 9 July 1988.
Lifespan
Not well studied.
What it eats
Fish — anything it can overpower, including smaller goliaths. It is known to bite chunks out of prey too big to swallow.
Spawning
Females gather to spawn along riverbanks and lakeshores, scattering thousands of eggs among thick vegetation, with no parental care. The larvae eat plankton before moving on to fish.
Teeth and mouth
The signature: large, dagger-shaped teeth about 2.5 cm long, spaced along the jaws and fitting into grooves when the mouth closes, replaced in sets.
Look-alikes
The African tigerfish (Hydrocynus vittatus), which shares the Congo, is slimmer and smaller, with bold dark stripes; the goliath is the heavy, thick-bodied one with the enormous teeth.
Eating
Eaten fresh and dried in Central Africa, where dried fish is a key source of protein.
Status
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Try it

How big does a goliath tigerfish get?

Slide it from an ordinary adult to the biggest one ever measured, next to things you know the size of.

85 cm · 33 inmost adults20406080100120140cm61218243036424854ina loaf of bread · 30 cma 4-year-old, lying down · 100 cma canoe paddle · 150 cm

Most adults you'll catch: 60–110 cm (24–43 in).

This goliath tigerfish: 85 cm. Longer than a loaf of bread, shorter than a four-year-old.

The record

IGFA all-tackle world record: 44 kg (97 lb), Raymond Houtmans, Zaire (Congo) River, Kinshasa, 9 July 1988.

Questions people ask about goliath tigerfish

How big is a goliath tigerfish?

FishBase gives a maximum of 133 cm (52 in) fork length and 50 kg (110 lb). The IGFA all-tackle world record is 44 kg (97 lb), caught in the Congo River at Kinshasa in 1988.

Where do goliath tigerfish live?

Only in the Congo River basin — the main river, the Lualaba and Lake Upemba — with reports from Lake Tanganyika. It is the largest member of the tigerfish genus and is found nowhere else.

Is the goliath tigerfish dangerous?

To fish, very. To people, it deserves respect: its teeth are about 2.5 cm (1 in) long and it can take a chunk out of a large fish. Handle it only with long pliers and a firm grip, and fish its rivers with an experienced guide.

Found in these regions

Checked against these sources ·

Sizes, records and ranges are for the species as a whole; local fish, and local rules, vary. Records change — the record-keeper named above has the current one.

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Also active in October