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African Tigerfish
Hydrocynus vittatus
The African Tigerfish (also known as the tiervis or ngwesh) is a freshwater fish native to much of Africa. For many years this fish was considered a piscivore (an animal that only eats fish), however in recent years, it has been observed jumping and catching low-flying birds out of the sky. It is famous for the black stripes running horizontally across it's body, it's red forked tail, and large pointed teeth, of which it has eight per jaw.
The African Tigerfish is considered an important source of food and income to neighboring African people; not only as a source of protein, but also promoting tourism through sport fishing.
OTHER PHOTOS
OUR STORY
Our run-in with an African tigerfish was one of those trips where you come home talking more about the surrounding plants and wildlife than the fishing itself. We spent two days fishing from a boat on the Zambezi River outside Livingstone, casting chunks of fish toward the banks during the rainy season. The water was fast, the fish were scarce, and of the three or four bites we had over those two days, only one fish made it to the boat.
That fish was caught by my wife, Alicen, and although it wasn't a large specimen, after two difficult days of fishing, getting an African tigerfish into the boat made the effort worthwhile. It also gave us the opportunity to see one of these remarkable fish up close. Their heads are solid bone, and their mouths - lined with large interlocking teeth, look like something from a work of fiction.
Ours may not have been a giant, but it didn't need to be. Getting the opportunity to finally see and hold an African tigerfish was enough to understand why the species has earned a place on so many serious anglers' bucket lists.