Big tigerfish in the Congo River: If in the waters of the Amazon the most voracious and bloodthirsty fish are predatory piranhas, in Africa this includes Mbenga living in the Congo River basin. She, like piranhas, has powerful teeth, but at the same time, its size is significantly larger. In the hungry season, when all small fish in the river are already overfished, Mbengs often attack waterfowl, young crocodiles, and even people, thus confirming the status of the most dangerous and voracious fish of all that inhabit the waters of Africa.
Big tigerfish in the Congo River
Locals call this predatory fish Mbenga, and the scientific name of this species — large tigerfish (lat. Hydrocynus goliath). Large tigerfish belong to the genus of hydrazines, which also belong to their close relatives — the common tigerfish. Mbenga is a very big fish, the males reach a length of 1.3 meters and weigh an adult can up to 50 pounds.
Large tigerfish live in large rivers and lakes in central Africa. There are many of them in the Congo River and its tributaries, as well as in Lake Tanganyika. Mbengs live in packs, and their size allows them to swim against the current, swallowing smaller fish along the way. Often, mbengs having a huge mouth and 32 sharp teeth swallow their prey whole. The victims of these fresh-water monsters can be careless birds, sat down to rest on the water surface, and young crocodiles. But most of all Mbengi loves African fish called Kamba, which often become their victims.
But also voracious Benham sometimes you don’t. Due to their large size, they are subject to fishing and visiting Africa, tourists are often taken for sports fishing, where the trophy is a large tigerfish.
