Hydrocynus vittatus

(Castelnau, 1861)

Vernacular names
English : Tiger fish
French : Poisson tigre Africain

Classification
Class : Teleostei
Order : Characiformes
Family : Alestidae
Notes : No subspecies known.

Identification
Adults will grow up to 105 cm in length for a weight up to 28 kg. Snout with short round profile, large mouth with prominent teeth. Silvery coloration with conspicuous thick horizontal black lines on flanks. All fins with yellow to red color.

Range and habitat
The species occurs in most of the big river basins of sub-Saharan Africa, from the Upper Nile and Senegal to extreme north South-Africa. Lives in large freshwater rivers and their tributaries, lakes.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : LEAST CONCERN
CITES : Not Listed
Status : This species is common within its large range. It is often caught for food, sport and for the trade and local declines are reported.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

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