Goliath Tigerfish belong to the order Characiformes, or characins, which also includes the piranhas of South America and the tetras of Africa, Central America and South America.
Like piranhas, goliath tigerfish are carnivores and hunt in packs. There are reports of goliath tigerfish attacking humans, but these reports have never been verified.
Goliath tigerfish are much larger than piranhas. They are the largest of the characins.
A goliath tigerfish can grow to over 4 feet long and weigh up to 110 pounds
The teeth of a goliath tigerfish are large and sharp.
A goliath tigerfish's teeth will protrude through its mouth when its mouth is closed. The top and bottom teeth interlock.
The goliath tigerfish is known as a tigerfish because of its ferocity and because its black bands resemble a tiger's stripes.
There are many fish called "tigerfish" which belong to different orders. They are known as tigerfish because of their coloration or because are very vicious.
Habitat
Goliath tigerfish live in large rivers and lakes in central Africa.
They can be found in Lake Tanganyika and the Congo River basin.
Lifecycle
Goliath tigerfish migrate in groups to lakeshores or flooded riverbanks in order to lay their breed.
The females lay their eggs on plants.
A female may lay thousands of eggs.
The parents do not care for the young. The large number of eggs helps to ensure that at least some of the young will survive.
A newly hatched goliath tigerfish goes through a larval stage in which it lives on animal plankton. As it grows larger, it begins to hunt bigger prey.