Hydrocynus

Hydrocynus
The five currently recognized species. From top to bottom: H. vittatus, H. tanzaniae, H. forskahlii, H. brevis and H. goliath
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Characiformes
Family: Alestidae
Subfamily: Alestinae
Genus: Hydrocynus
Cuvier, 1816
Type species
Hydrocyon forskahlii
Cuvier, 1819
Species

5, see text.

Hydrocynus is a genus of characin fish in the family Alestidae commonly called "tigerfish," native to Africa. The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek ὕδωρ ("water"[1]) + κύων ("dog"[1]). The genus contains five species,[2] all commonly known as "African tigerfish" for their fierce predatory behaviour and other characteristics that make them excellent game fish.[3] Hydrocynus are normally piscivorous,[4] but H. vittatus is proven to prey on birds in flight.[5]

  1. ^ a b Liddell, H.G. & Scott, R. (1940). A Greek-English Lexicon. revised and augmented throughout by Sir Henry Stuart Jones. with the assistance of. Roderick McKenzie. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Goodier was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Hydrocynus", Encyclopædia Britannica
  4. ^ Kirk O. Winemiller & Leslie C. Kelso-Winemiller (1994). "Comparative ecology of the African pike, Hepsetus odoe, and tigerfish, Hydrocynus forskahlii, in the Zambezi River floodplain" (PDF). Journal of Fish Biology. 45 (2): 211–225. doi:10.1006/jfbi.1994.1121.
  5. ^ "African Tigerfish Recorded Catching Bird Prey in Mid-Flight For First Time Ever (VIDEO)", University Herald, January 13, 2014.