Hydrocynus vittatus

Hydrocynus vittatus was first formally described as Hydrocyon vittatus in 1861 by the French naturalist François-Louis Laporte, comte de Castelnau with its type locality given as Lake Ngami in Botswana. The genus Hydrocynus is placed in the family Alestidae within the suborder Characoidei in the order Characiformes by the 5th edition of Fishes of the World. Some authorities place Hydrocynus in the subfamily Alestinae, but the 5th edition of Fishes of the World does not recognise subfamilies in the Alestidae. ==Description==

Hydrocynus vittatus is overall silvery in colour, with thin black stripes running horizontally. It has an elongated body and a red, forked caudal fin with a black edge. Its head is large, as well as its teeth, of which there are eight per jaw. These are sharp and conical, which are used to grasp and chop prey. Males are larger and more "full-bodied" than females. ==Distribution==

Hydrocynus vittatus has a distribution which covers the Niger/Bénoué, Ouémé River, Senegal River, Nile, Omo River, Congo River, Lufira, Lualaba River, Luapula, Zambezi, Limpopo River, Rovuma, Shire River, and Wami River; as well as various lakes: Lake Bangweulu, Mweru, Tanganyika, Upemba, Rukwa, and Malagarazi. It is also found in the Okavango Basin and lower reaches of coastal systems south to the Pongola River and in man-made Lake Kariba, Lake Jozini and Schroda Dam. Hydrocynus vittatus is common and widespread over most of its range. In the most studied population, that of Lake Kariba on the Middle Zambezi River, the population fluctuated markedly, apparently in direct relation to the abundance of the introduced clupeid Limnothrissa miodon which forms a major part of its diet. ==Behaviour==

Hydrocynus vittatus mainly live near the bottom of the large freshwater rivers and lakes they inhabit. Feeding behaviour Hydrocynus vittatus are fierce hunters and are mostly piscivorous, and tend to eat whatever fish is most available. Smaller fish will hunt in large schools, while larger African tigerfish hunt alone. Favoured prey fish include cichlids, gobies, carp, and clariid catfish. Insects and zooplankton may also be part of the African tigerfish's diet, especially during juvenile stages of life. A unique feeding behavior has been confirmed in the Schroda Dam population of Hydrocynus vittatus: the fish jump out of the water and catch barn swallows Hirundo rustica on the wing as they fly near the surface of the lake feeding on insects. This behaviour was speculated previously, but this was the first time it had been observed during the course of a research project. The researchers observed an average success rate of 25% for predation attempts, with as many as twenty birds caught per day over a relatively small lake (). African tigerfish were observed to pursue the birds from the surface further below the water. The depth of pursuit will affect the fish's perception of the bird due to light refraction in the water. It is thought that these tigerfish will pursue the bird at a depth that allows the individual to perceive the birds the easiest. This instance is the only documented example of a freshwater fish exhibiting this particular behavior. Other freshwater fish have been observed catching birds that are swimming or floating on the water, but not catching them mid-flight. ==Relation to humans==

Hydrocynus vittatus is an important food and income source for locals. Not only do they provide a natural source of protein, the presence of the fish also promotes tourism through sport fishing. As a result of their ecological and economic importance, African tigerfish have been extensively studied by conservation groups and university researchers. These fish can get quite large and require at least a tank. They do not get along well with any fish smaller than them (even of their own species) since smaller fish make up a majority of their diet. ==References==