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Today on Animal Fact Files, we’re talking about tigerfish. Don’t forget to subscribe for all the animal facts! Guerson Turenne made today’s fascinating request. Like the piranhas we’ve discussed in a previous episode, tigerfish have a reputation for nastiness. With a face as fierce as this, it makes sense people have crafted fisherman’s tales of these African giants, but beauty’s more than skin, or in this case, scale deep.

There are a couple groups of fish that have the common name tigerfish, but today we’re focusing specifically on the ones that look like they could rip your face off. Of course, the chance of that happening is pretty slim. Although many news headlines tout the toughness of tigerfish, scientifically inclined sources such as fishbase demark all five species of tigerfish as harmless to humans. The larger species of tigerfish do certainly instill a sense of wonder as they can reach more than four feet (122cm) in length and 100 pounds (45kg) in weight, though these represent the extreme of the group with most other species averaging around two and a half feet (76cm) in length and 35 pounds (15.9kg) in weight. All species, however, come with a formidable looking face. Those teeth aren’t just for looks, either, as tigerfish are exceptional predators. They’re so good, in fact, that they have been documented jumping out of the water to catch birds in flight for a light snack.

When they’re young, tigerfish may stick to smaller fare, choosing insects and small crustaceans for their main meals; as they get older, however, they seem to have a preference for other fish - specifically other big fish: including each other. Of course, tigerfish, being big themselves, pose a good sized meal for animals like fish eagles as well as other large fish. They also serve as food for some populations of humans. Tigerfish are caught both for food and for sport with many anglers considering them a catch of a lifetime. For as much as Chester likes fish, considering tigerfish on average are longer than he is, I’m thinking we probably won’t see him doing any tigerfish hunting anytime soon. As if he could catch a fish anyway.

If they can avoid predation, tigerfish may live to be eight or older. How and where they breed is generally poorly studied, but it’s thought they may not become sexually mature until four years of age. Of course, there’s still a lot of research to be made. Part of the issue in researching tigerfish in their natural environment has a lot to do with how difficult their natural environment is to access. Tigerfish are native to African lakes and rivers, though where they specifically occur depends on the species. The kinds of habitats tigerfish prefer has a relative dearth of research, but from what we were able to find it seems that tigerfish may stay in one place for long periods of time, or they may travel long expanses of waterways, in theory, to seek out new food sources. The areas tigerfish inhabit can be shallow or quite deep, with one of their homes, the Congo River, being one of the deepest rivers in the world.

For more facts on tigerfish, check out the links in the description. Give a thumbs up for freaky fish, and thank you for watching Animal Fact Files.