Hydrocynus
| Hydrocynus | |
|---|---|
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| 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 | |
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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 2 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.
- ↑ 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
- ↑ "Hydrocynus", Encyclopædia Britannica
- ↑ "African Tigerfish Recorded Catching Bird Prey in Mid-Flight For First Time Ever (VIDEO)", University Herald, January 13, 2014.
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