SickoRicko'sCrap...

Wednesday, May 14, 2025

The goliath tigerfish has a characteristic silvery gray dorsum and flanks, with a tunniform body plan similar to that of tuna, featuring black adipose fins. The goliath tigerfish is described as the "Monster Fish of the Congo" by a 2008 documentary by National Geographic, a reflection of its monster-like qualities and of its perception by local people and hunters. This large-toothed, highly predatory fish grows to an average length of 1.5 m (4.9 ft) and a weight of 50 kg (110 lb). The largest recorded specimen weighed 70 kg (154 lb), and they can reach a maximum recorded length of about 2 m (6.6 ft), making them the largest of the tigerfish of genus Hydrocynus.

In addition to being the largest in body size of their genus, they also have incredibly large conical teeth. Due to their predatory nature, they possess well-developed pharyngeal teeth similar to those of sharks and piranhas. Their teeth are spaced out along the jaw and shaped like daggers in order to facilitate biting pieces out of prey fish or tearing prey into smaller pieces for digestion. The premaxilla holds six to seven teeth while the dentary or lower jaw holds five, for a total of 12 to 20 upper teeth plus 8 to 14 lower teeth.

Its teeth fit into distinct grooves along its jaws, interlocking together with the smallest teeth are found at the very back of the jaws and. In each jaw quadrant, all teeth are replaced at the same time over the course of about five days. On average each of its teeth can grow up to 2.5 cm (1 in), according to biologist and television presenter Jeremy Wade, which is comparable to the tooth size of a Great White shark. These massive jaws and teeth are what sets this species apart from all other tigerfish of the genus Hydrocynus and make for easy identification, especially given its endemism to the Congo Basin. (Source: Wikipedia)