Hydrocynus is a genus of large characin fish in the family Alestidae commonly called "tigerfish," endemic to the African continent. The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek ὕδωρ ("water") + κύων ("dog"). (In fact, this fish is popularly referred to as poisson chien (dog fish) in French-speaking West Africa.) The genus contains five species, all popularly known as "African Tigerfish" for their fierce predatory behavior and other characteristics that make them excellent game fish.