In fact, one species of freshwater fish has such a reputation that its local name is M’Benga, which translates to “the dangerous fish” in Swahili. Let’s discover the river monster fish so deadly it can eat crocodiles!

What kind of fish is able to eat crocodiles?

The giant tigerfish, or Hydrocynus goliath, is one of the largest predatory freshwater fish in the world and is known for attacking anything that moves. If the game doesn’t give it away, the giant tigerfish is quite the fearsome creature. There are five known species of tigerfish, each with a local reputation of its own. Goliath tigerfish are a type of toothed fish that locally go by the name M’Benga, which translates to “the dangerous fish” in Swahili. Local people who have encountered the fish believe that the many attacks on humans are the result of an evil spirit (named M’Benga) that is controlling this monstrous fish. Although they can get pretty large, it’s a bit inaccurate to say that tigerfish kill crocodiles. Still, that isn’t the whole story. The extreme predatory nature of the fish is believed to be the result of an instinct to attack and bite anything that makes rapid or splashing movements. As a result, there are some stories of these fish attacking crocodiles and attempting to take a bite out of them. Additionally, their sheer size and strength could easily allow them to kill a hatchling crocodile, although they generally eat fish.

Where do giant tigerfish live?

Giant tigerfish are native to the Congo River Basin in central Africa. More specifically, they live in the Congo and Lualaba Rivers, as well as Lake Upemba and Lake Tanganyika. Although there are populations of humans that live along these rivers and lakes, the region is extremely remote and difficult to get to. As such, they are tough to find, let alone catch. Still, they retain their dangerous reputation.

How big are giant tigerfish?

As far as freshwater fish go, tigerfish are among the largest. They regularly reach lengths of 5 feet, although there are reports of them growing larger. Additionally, they usually weigh around 110 lbs, with the record weighing 154 lbs. Their size and strength are one thing, but it’s actually their teeth that they are known for. As a predatory toothed fish, the tigerfish has a serious bite. On average, the teeth of a tigerfish measure 1 inch long, each of which fits into a special groove in its jaws. In appearance, the tigerfish resembles a massive piranha, although it has a much more sinister bite than its much smaller lookalike in South America.

Have they ever attacked humans?

As their Swahili name would suggest, these fish occasionally attack humans. It’s believed that they have a predatory reflex to attack anything that splashes or moves, sending them into a biting frenzy. This predatory reflex could potentially be triggered by people washing clothes, playing, or simply walking in a river or lake. Despite the dangers of the fish, they aren’t a true threat to full-grown humans, although they can really harm a person. In the remote regions in which they can be found, the potential for infection after the bite is much riskier. Still, small children could potentially be drowned if a large tigerfish were to initiate an all-out attack on them while they were swimming in a deeper portion of a lake or river.

The tigerfish is a rare and isolated fish that locals in Africa have known about for a very long time. The rest of the world, however, probably knows about them because of the television show, River Monsters. In this show, Jeremy Wade, one of the best fishermen on the planet, sets out to catch the scariest and largest fish from around the globe. In his pursuit of these river monsters, the tigerfish was added to his list. Wade considers the fish to be one the scariest, and anglers from around the world regard it among the greatest freshwater gamefish in the world.