20 lb + Tigers

FlyFanatic · 30-10-08

Did you guys see the article in the new TCFF about those 20lb+ tigers??? DAMN!!! Now THAT is a dream!!!

Anybody here wanting to take a poor student to hunt them BEEEEG tigers??

**clarias** · 30-10-08

Was a bit pissed off when I saw that yet another issue had been devoted to Tigerfish, but then I noticed that the fish looked a bit different. I didn't read the whole article and couldn't find what country that was in.
Could one of you who read it please tell me what river that was again and in which country. Just out of personal interest I'd like to see what river system it is and what species can be expected to be found there. I noticed the lack of stripes, but that could easily have been from the turbid water. Just want to check it up for interest's sake.
So guys, please let me know
Cheers

**frikb** · 30-10-08

Also just paged through it quickly after picking it up from the postbox. I noticed the one guy had a bit of a piercing. That must hurt...

FlyFanatic · 30-10-08

Its the Duma River in East Africa and the lack of vivid colouring is due to the environment, the river is discoloured and turbid for most of the year. They are normal tigerfish, not the Goliath tiger, and its due to the little pressure on the fish that they grow so big, system of maximum efficiency and little pressure.

That piercing really looks ouch yes!!

**Shamwari** · 04-11-08

Originally Posted by FlyFanatic

Its the Duma River in East Africa and the lack of vivid colouring is due to the environment, the river is discoloured and turbid for most of the year. They are normal tigerfish, not the Goliath tiger, and its due to the little pressure on the fish that they grow so big, system of maximum efficiency and little pressure.

That piercing really looks ouch yes!!

Soos in die OU DAE!

**chambeshi** · 26-01-09

Those are likely the Tanzanian tigerfish, Hydrocynus tanzaniae, described to science quite recently [in 1986]. This species is endemic to east-flowing rivers in E Africa (Ruaha-Rufiji system mainly) and it is quite distinct from the well known southern African species H. vittatus. The latter was first described from Lake Ngami, with its type locality now fixed in Okavango Delta [given that Ngami has become a distinctly ephemeral wetland since the 1850s]. Little seems to be known about the biology of these tanzanian tigerfish but they are indeed reminiscent of goliaths [steel-grey back, silvery flanks with no lateral stripes, and the reddish-orange tinge to lower caudal etc]. Yet H. tanzaniae is quite distinct....on scale counts etc, and also not so resplendent in the dental arena as are goliaths.

**kevzambia** · 26-01-09

Originally Posted by chambeshi

Those are likely the Tanzanian tigerfish, Hydrocynus tanzaniae, described to science quite recently [in 1986]. This species is endemic to east-flowing rivers in E Africa (Ruaha-Rufiji system mainly) and it is quite distinct from the well known southern African species H. vittatus. The latter was first described from Lake Ngami, with its type locality now fixed in Okavango Delta [given that Ngami has become a distinctly ephemeral wetland since the 1850s]. Little seems to be known about the biology of these tanzanian tigerfish but they are indeed reminiscent of goliaths [steel-grey back, silvery flanks with no lateral stripes, and the reddish-orange tinge to lower caudal etc]. Yet H. tanzaniae is quite distinct....on scale counts etc, and also not so resplendent in the dental arena as are goliaths.

I remember that the tigers we used to catch in the Kilombero, Ruaha and Rufiji rivers were a lot more silvery than the ones we're catching in the Zambezi. We used to think that it was something in their diet and didn't bother researching it, thanks for clarifying it Chambeshi! Here are 2 pics of tigers, one from the Kilombero, taken by Darren Smit and another from the Zambezi, taken by Julien Stoll. I might have to make a trip up to the Kilombero again (and Illovo Sugar has a little golf course nearby!!).