Hydrocynus
| Hydrocynus Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| Goliath tigerfish (H. goliath) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Characiformes |
| Family: | Alestidae |
| Genus: | Hydrocynus Cuvier, 1816 |
| Type species | |
| Hydrocynus lucius Cuvier, 1816 | |
| Species | |
|
5, see text. | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
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") + κύων ("dog"). The genus contains five species, all commonly known as "African tigerfish" for their fierce predatory behaviour and other characteristics that make them excellent game fish. Hydrocynus are normally piscivorous, but H. vittatus is proven to prey on birds in flight.