Hydrocynus

Hydrocynus
The five currently recognized species. From top to bottom: H. vittatus, H. tanzaniae, H. forskahlii, H. brevis and H. goliath
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Characiformes
Family:	Alestidae
Genus:	Hydrocynus Cuvier, 1816
Species
See text

Hydrocynus is a genus of large characin fish in the family Alestidae commonly called "tigerfish," endemic to the African continent. The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek ὕδωρ ("water"^[1]) + κύων ("dog"^[1]). (In fact, this fish is popularly referred to as poisson chien (dog fish) in French-speaking West Africa.) The genus contains five^[2] species, all popularly known as "African Tigerfish" for their fierce predatory behavior and other characteristics that make them excellent game fish.^[3] The Hydrocynus is the only freshwater fish proven to prey on birds in flight.^[4]

Species

• Hydrocynus brevis (Günther, 1864) (Tigerfish)
• Hydrocynus forskahlii (G. Cuvier, 1819) (Elongate tigerfish)
• Hydrocynus goliath Boulenger, 1898 (Giant tigerfish)
• Hydrocynus tanzaniae B. Brewster, 1986 (Blue tigerfish)
• Hydrocynus vittatus Castelnau, 1861 (Striped tigerfish)

Notes and references

1. 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. Goodier SAM, Cotterill FPD, O'Ryan C, Skelton PH, de Wit MJ (2011) Cryptic Diversity of African Tigerfish (Genus Hydrocynus) Reveals Palaeogeographic Signatures of Linked Neogene Geotectonic Events. PLoS ONE 6(12): e28775. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0028775
3. "Hydrocynus", Encyclopædia Britannica
4. "African Tigerfish Recorded Catching Bird Prey in Mid-Flight For First Time Ever (VIDEO)", University Herald, January 13, 2014.