Goliath tiger fish trophy fishing. River monster - Goliath tiger fish: description, characteristics and interesting facts. About the reproduction of tiger goliath fish

Goliath is also called the big tiger fish or the giant hydrocine. This is one of the most unusual freshwater inhabitants with the appearance of a real monster. In Latin the name translates as “giant water dog”, and it really is this river fish fits - she has the teeth of a predator, large, with sharp, huge fangs. In addition, the goliath fish has a powerful body, large size and... a brutal appetite. What is known about this creature, and is it really so ferocious?

Due to its fairly decent size, keeping Goliath in home aquarium impossible. However, any zoo or exhibition hall will not refuse to have such an original specimen in its collection that attracts visitors, and they are often found in such aquariums.

IN natural environment The length of giant hydrocines reaches one and a half meters, and their weight is 50 kg. And at first glance at this fish it becomes clear - this is not a vegetarian, with such and such teeth! Goliath - mobile, dangerous predator, similar to a piranha, only more impressive in size. Using their powerful jaws and razor-sharp teeth, they are able to rip large chunks of meat from their prey.

Of course, exotic lovers dream of such an extraordinary pet. And the goliath itself may well live in captivity. Only it requires a huge, at least 3000-liter aquarium. It is quite undemanding in maintenance, but, in addition to a spacious tank, it requires a lot of nutritious food.

Living in the natural environment

The first description of individuals was compiled in the 60s of the 19th century. Its habitat is African reservoirs, from Egyptian to South African. More often, goliaths are found in Senegal, the Nile, Congo, and Lake Tanganyika. Since hydrocin is a large fish, large ones are most suitable for it, deep rivers and lakes. Moreover, representatives of this species are not loners and lead a gregarious lifestyle with their brethren or other large predators.

Goliaths are gluttonous, insatiable and successful in hunting. Their diet includes fish, aquatic animals and even crocodiles. There are several recorded cases where they attacked a person, but experts say that the fish behaved this way by mistake, without considering the “prey”.

U local residents The goliath is known as the "mbenga" and they fish for it extensively. But, in addition to this, they offer this activity as entertainment to numerous tourists. According to fishermen, it is not easy to catch such a large fish, no matter how strong the fishing line is, it still will not withstand such weight. Therefore, the fishing line is replaced with durable steel leads.

Scientists have been interested in these original creatures for a long time; studies have shown that they are contemporaries of dinosaurs. In nature, where hydrocines live, it is difficult to survive, so individuals actively evolved until they turned into dangerous, predatory creatures. Although goliaths have fewer enemies in nature, they still greater threat for them there remains a person.

He is engaged in mass catching of these fish, poisoning chemicals coastal vegetation, pollutes aquatic environment, which leads to a steady decline in the population of giant hydrocines. This state of affairs has attracted the attention of local authorities, environmental services and environmental organizations who are trying to save such unique river inhabitants from extinction.

Appearance of individuals

Despite the fact that from the lips of boastful fishermen you can hear about 5-meter-long goliaths caught with your own hands, the size of these river inhabitants is still impressive. For a river inhabitant, one and a half meters in length is already a lot. In captivity, individuals are not grow up more than 75 cm. Individuals live from 12 to 15 years. The description of the individuals is as follows:

• torso oblong, strong;
• fins small, pointed, orange or reddish in color;
• head large, with a wide mouth, equipped with large, sharp teeth - 32 in total;
• With their teeth, fish grab and tear prey without chewing. These fish have teeth replaced by new ones throughout their lives;
• the body is covered with large scales of silver color with a golden tint.

Difficulties of content

Goliath is not an aquarium option, or rather aquarium enthusiasts cannot afford it. But it does well in a commercial or species tank. Although some people decide to keep young of these fish in a home container, but due to their rapid growth, the question arises - what to do with such a giant pet?

Diet

In their natural environment, tiger giants most often eat fish and small mammals, although they do not refuse plant food or detritus. With such size and needs, they have to eat a lot often, so goliaths can be called omnivores. At aquarium maintenance The diet of hydrocins is recommended to consist of following products and feed:

• live fish;
• minced meat and fish;
• shrimp;
• fish fillet.

Initially, until the individuals have fully adapted to the new conditions, they feed only on live food. However, later they happily eat frozen food and even artificial food. Young animals do not refuse flakes, but as they grow older, pellets and granular formulations are introduced into their diet.

But if pets are constantly given live food in sufficient quantities, they may become more picky and picky, refusing other foods. Therefore, it is recommended to stick to a mixed menu.

Aquarium content

All the requirements of goliaths are mainly related to their impressive size:

• several individuals require a tank with a volume of at least 3000 liters;
• filtration is necessary, and the system must be powerful, capable of creating an intense flow - the goliath in nature prefers to live in fast-flowing rivers, and its habit of tearing food into pieces leads to rapid water pollution;
• These are freshwater fish, so there is no need to add salt to the water;
• Large driftwood, stones, sand can be used as decoration;
• You can do without landscaping the aquarium; in addition, hydrocin needs room for swimming.

Who do goliaths get along with?

Goliaths are not very aggressive per se, but they will hunt any living creature that may be suitable for them as food. It is best to keep individuals of only one species in one tank or add large, protected fish, for example, arapaima, to them.

Sexual dimorphism

There are no obvious signs, but in a school of goliaths, males can be recognized by their larger, more massive build.

Getting offspring

It is impossible to breed large tiger fish fry in an aquarium. The bulk of the babies are caught in natural reservoirs and raised. In nature, goliath spawning lasts only a few days during the rainy season. To continue the race, individuals migrate from their usual home to small tributaries, where the female lays a huge number of eggs in small, overgrown areas. When the fry appear, they immediately find themselves in warm water with an abundant food supply, and as they grow older, the current carries them into large bodies of water.

Goliath fish attracts the attention of tourists and zoo visitors. This amazing creature lives on earth for several million years, has undergone centuries of evolution and can withstand many unfavorable factors... But today it depends on the person whether such an extraordinary fish will disappear or will exist.

Goliath fish photo

Video about goliath fish

Goliath fish, also called tiger fish, is one of the most unusual freshwater fish; it has a specific appearance, which is why it is often referred to as a “river monster.” Goliath means “giant” in Latin, and the literal name of the tiger fish, goliath, translates to “giant water dog.”

The character of this river inhabitant matches his appearance. Goliath has unique teeth - these are large and sharp fangs. The tiger fish is large and ferocious, its powerful body is covered with large scales of a silvery hue, sometimes with a golden tint.

Where does the goliath fish live?

It is practically impossible to find the Goliath tiger fish in a simple home aquarium, but it is often kept in zoos, as well as in aquariums at exhibitions. Under natural conditions this giant monster can grow up to 150 centimeters, and its weight is about 50 kilograms.

Looking at the fangs of the goliath, it becomes clear that her diet contains not only plants. Tiger fish is dangerous and very active predator , which is somewhat reminiscent of a piranha, but, unlike this predator, the goliath is larger. With its large fangs, it is capable of tearing whole pieces of flesh out of its victims' bodies.

It is impossible to keep such a pet in a regular aquarium, primarily due to its size. After all, a goliath requires an aquarium the size of no less than 3 thousand liters. But in content tiger fish not too whimsical. The key problems are the aquarium big size, as well as a large amount of food.

This species was first described in the middle of the last century. Its habitat is almost the entire territory African continent from Egypt to the south. It is found most often in the following bodies of water:

• Congo.
• Senegal.
• Lake Tanganyika.

Large tiger predator loves to live in large lakes and rivers, prefers to live in schools with representatives of its own species or with other predators from the water depths.

Such predators characterized by insatiability and greed, in natural conditions she can hunt:

• on fish;
• other underwater abodes;
• crocodiles, etc.

Were recorded cases of attacks on people, but they are not so frequent.

External description of the Goliath tiger fish

If speak about external characteristics Goliath fish, then they are as follows:

Average tiger fish lives about 12–15 years.

Features of keeping goliath fish

As already mentioned, tiger fish are not intended for keeping at home. Most often in captivity they are kept in species or commercial aquariums.

Goliath tiger fish in natural conditions primarily feed fish and small mammals, but this does not mean at all that they will not eat detritus or food of plant origin. They will not disdain different foods; this fish can be called an omnivore.

• Fish fillet.
• Shrimps.
• Live small fish.
• Ground meat.

At first, the goliath will eat only live food, but in the process of getting used to new conditions, it can switch to artificial or frozen food. The fry can even eat flakes, but over time they will need to be switched to granules and pellets.

But it is worth knowing that if feeding with live food is too frequent, the goliath fish will not eat anything else, so its diet needs to be mixed.

As for the requirements for keeping in an aquarium, we have already said - the aquarium must be large, its minimum volume must be from 2 thousand or 3 thousand liters. We must not forget about the flow and a powerful filtration system, since the way the fish feed is such that it will tear live food into pieces, and this does not contribute to the purity of the water.

Tiger fish are also accustomed to living in rivers with large currents, so the aquarium should also have one. If we talk about aquarium decor, we can limit ourselves to the following:

• stones;
• sand;
• large snags.

But green landscapes are not particularly needed here, especially since such an inhabitant requires a lot of free space.

Temperament and breeding

If we talk about living together with other species, then the goliath’s character is not so aggressive, but we must not forget about its appetites; accordingly, its neighbors risk becoming food.

Therefore, tiger goliaths in species aquariums are best keep separately or with other species of large freshwater animals, for example, arapaima.

There are them in the aquarium bred extremely rarely, most often the fry are caught in reservoirs and then raised in artificial conditions. And in their natural habitat they spawn for only a few days, in January or December during the rainy season.

For this purpose they are from large rivers migrate to small tributaries. In shallow places, females lay a lot of eggs in dense vegetation. The hatched fry then live in warm reservoirs, where there is a lot of food, and then the current carries them into large reservoirs. Males also differ from females in that they much larger and more massive.

So we've looked at key characteristics Goliath tiger fish, which mainly lives either in natural conditions or in large species aquariums. But for home breeding such a fish hardly suitable.

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 them river inhabitants They are quite predatory individuals, capable of posing a threat not only to their river relatives, but also to humans. Goliath tiger fish (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, a predatory fish species weighing up to 154 pounds and up to 5 feet long, . Widely known as a fierce-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 Fund 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 Magazine Geographic 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 are detrimental to 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 most close-up view 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.

Fisherman and expert on unusual freshwater fish Jeremy Wade managed to catch the giant specimen. 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 its jaws allows the tiger fish to open its mouth wider than other predatory fish can afford. 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.

Clickable 1600 px

sources
ianimal.ru
torchu.ru
borshec.ru
zooeco.com
animalworld.com.ua

On our planet, including in underwater world, you can truly meet 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 this river monster can be kept in a 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 the sides, very similar to those of a tiger.

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 a 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 rectify the situation.

What does goliath tiger fish eat?

Under natural conditions, its food is small mammals, 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 °C, acidity 6.5-7.5 pH.

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 food (granulated 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 move from large rivers to small tributaries, where females lay a lot of eggs in shallow water in thickets. There are ideal conditions here for hatched fry: 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 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 his bare hands are all over the 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:

In the “River Monsters” program, the tiger fish was presented as a terrible predator, surpassing Amazonian piranhas in bloodthirstiness. But in the Congo River basin and Lake Tanganyika, these large freshwater inhabitants are valued as a commercial object.

The giant hydrocine, or goliath fish, belongs to the family of African tetras, representatives of which are often kept in home aquariums. From beautiful fish tiger hydrocin differs not only in size, but also appearance. This is a large, agile predator with an elongated, spindle-shaped body and a large head with powerful jaws.

The entire surface of the body is covered with golden-colored cycloid scales. On the back the shade becomes more saturated and turns into Brown color. The belly is light, yellowish or white, with a silvery tint.

Like all members of the family, at the beginning of the caudal peduncle there is a small adipose fin, reminiscent of the same salmon breeds. The dorsal fin is single, triangular in shape, medium in size.

The head of the tiger fish is noteworthy. It makes up about ¼ of the total body length, is equipped with elongated strong jaws and large cone-shaped teeth. Lower jaw protrudes forward a little. The eyes are small, located in the upper part, there are no pharyngeal teeth, but the oral cavity has a hard surface.

The unusual fish pose a danger to unwary fisherman and animals attempting to swim across the river. They are not as aggressive as their South American relatives, the piranhas, but are capable of causing serious injury to even a large animal.

Maximum size and weight

The crew of the River Monsters program traveled along the Congo River in Africa, waiting to meet the largest individual of the Galiath breed. Local residents called the specimen caught by the presenter J. Wade quite large: the length of the tiger hydrocin from the nose to the end of the caudal fin was 1.5 m.

The weight of the giant hydrocin turned out to be 70 kg. Ichthyologists call these parameters maximum; even old fish rarely exceed these sizes.

The males of this species of hydrocines are much larger than the females. The dimensions and weight of the latter rarely exceed 1 m and 40-50 kg. But even such a large fish becomes good prey for local residents. The meat of the large tiger fish is sun-dried and lightly smoked.

Fang teeth

Of particular concern to Europeans meeting such representatives of the ichthyofauna for the first time are the huge fangs, which is why the fish was called tiger. They are located in 1 row along the edge of the powerful jaws, protrude forward and are framed by slightly thickened lips.

Sharp teeth are few in number, there are only 32 of them, but they reach a length of 3-5 cm (depending on the size of the specimen).

Combined with strong jaws oral apparatus allows the tiger hydrocin to hunt objects of different sizes. The fish tears off pieces of meat and is capable of biting off a person’s finger.

Habitat

Distribution area predatory fish small. This species is endemic to the Congo River and its tributaries. Hydrocines are also found in lakes Tanganyika and Upemba, where for a long time developed in isolation from other bodies of water. Meet them at big rivers and lakes in Africa, other than those mentioned above, is impossible.

What does it eat?

In habitats large fish occupy the ecological niche of obligate predators. They don't use plant foods, do not collect bottom inhabitants. The basis of the diet is fish fauna that lives in the water column.

River inhabitants use original way hunting: strong large goliath easily overcomes the current in rapids, and smaller species are carried away by the current into the mouth of the predator.

The tiger goliath that lives in lakes is deprived of such feeding behavior. Representatives of the species that live in calm water are forced to actively hunt, pursuing prey, as do predatory breeds of other lake fish (for example, pike or pike perch). When there is a shortage of food, they eat small hydrocines of their own or another species.

Local residents report that big fish(local name - mbenga) even attack crocodiles. They react to a splash of water or the movement of a prey by rushing at it with lightning speed.

Large tiger hydrocines are capable of hunting even birds flying low over the water surface: with a strong throw, the fish jumps 70-100 cm into the air in a gentle arc, grabbing the prey.

Fishermen from coastal villages catch mbenga with live bait, using small fish species as bait. The main prey items are not very large specimens, but even such trophies are valued as a source of abundant food.

Sport hunting of tiger goliaths is carried out as entertainment for tourists, and the capture of the most major representatives kind.

Goliath breeding

Sexual maturity in large tiger fish occurs at 6-7 years of age. IN mating season males become brighter than females: their breasts and pelvic fins acquire orange tint. Mating game practically none: females only slightly tilt their body when a male approaches.

Spawning begins in the morning, at the beginning of spring (March-April), when the water temperature fluctuates between +26...+28°C. Spawning is extended and continues for several months (until mid-June).

The caviar has medium stickiness, which allows the eggs to stick to the rocks of the riffles of large rivers where they spawn tiger goliath fish, living in ducts. Lake forms spawn in portions at shallow depths (about 10 m), preferring rocky soil at the bottom.

The number of eggs reaches 25-30 thousand. Parents do not care about the offspring, and after spawning they return to a permanent lifestyle.

When enough high temperature water, incubation of eggs continues for several days (5-10 days). The larvae remain motionless for another 3-5 days, and then begin to swim independently. During this period they feed on plankton. As they grow, they begin to hunt aquatic inhabitants that they can cope with, and weak fry of their species.

Is it possible to keep tiger fish in an aquarium?

Due to its large size, the adult goliath is not popular among aquarists. But hydrocines are placed in viewing ponds of zoos or ichthyofauna exhibitions.

When trying to keep young animals at home, it is advisable to provide shelters in which large tiger fish like to rest during quiet periods of their life.

The temperature in the aquarium should not be lower than +26°C, the acidity of the medium (pH) should be about 6-8 units. It is recommended to ensure good filtration and aeration of the water.

Hydrocines are fed only with animal food for predators, meat, fry of other fish, live bloodworms or earthworms. The size of food organisms depends on the size of the fish.

You will have to keep a single representative in the aquarium: the goliath fish will quickly destroy its peaceful neighbors, and in a small volume of water it will begin to compete with its relatives.