River Monster Collection (Toy Fish Factory)

Thalassophobia is defined as the fear of deep and vast bodies of water, and the unseen creatures that lurk in them. Even if you don’t suffer from this phobia, I dare any person to look out upon the surface of any large body of water and not wonder about what strange and potentially dangerous creatures lurk unseen under its surface. Better yet, get in that body of water and try not to think about those creatures.

That said, humans generally feel more comfortable in freshwater than in the ocean where the really scary stuff lives. That doesn’t make you feel any better when something brushes against your leg in your favorite swimming hole but at least whatever that thing is, isn’t likely to bite, sting, or eat you. Right? Well, as it turns out, even freshwater bodies of water hide their own horrors, they’re just usually far less talked about. Today we’re looking at a set of toys that represents a small assortment of these freshwater nightmares, the River Monster Collection by Toy Fish Factory, a fitting addition to our spooky series of reviews this Halloween season.

Toy Fish Factory (TFF) has been covered on the ATB twice before. For background information about the company, I suggest checking out the Gulf Coast Collection review. Although the company typically focuses on North American gamefish, this set focuses on frightening or large freshwater fishes from around the world. I’m sure that it’s no coincidence that they’re all species that have been featured on the immensely popular Animal Planet television series River Monsters (2009-2017), hosted by British angler Jeremy Wade. The show pits Wade against various aquatic animals in often exotic locations in an attempt to seek out the culprits implicated in attacks on the people that live there. The show is definitely sensationalized but has its merits.

Getting on to the review, we’ll be looking at each species individually and then assessing the set as a whole. I should note that this set contains 5 figures, but another limited-edition River Monster set came with 2 gar figures. That set is no longer available.

Goonch Catfish (Bagarius yarrelli): The goonch catfish can be found in fast flowing rivers in the Indian sub-continent. It can reach 6.6’ (2.0 meters) and feeds on prawns, fishes, and aquatic insects. It reportedly also feeds on human remains made available via floating funeral pyres which may be, allegedly, encouraging the species to attempt to feed on live humans as well.

The TFF goonch measures 63.5mm which puts it at about 1/30 in scale. The dorsal surface is dark brown and fades to white along the flanks while the paired fins and barbels are painted yellow. Four whiskers are sculpted directly onto the lower jaw and teeth are sculpted in the mouth, the goonch catfish does indeed have a formidable set of teeth. It is a faithful, although of course simplified, toy of the species.

Giant Snakehead (Channa micropeltes): The giant snakehead is native to southeast Asia and is the largest member of the Channa genus, reaching 4.9’ (1.49 meters). Although released specimens of the species did turn up in Maryland, U.S.A, it is not the species responsible for becoming established in the state and generating sensational headlines in the early 2000’s. That species was the northern snakehead (Channa argus). Both species are known for their ability to breath air and move about on land for short distances. They inhabit shallow, low-oxygen bodies of water and are indiscriminate predators of a wide assortment of other animals.

The TFF giant snakehead measures 65mm which puts it at 1/22 in scale. The body is sculpted with a stippled texture and teeth are sculpted within the slightly open mouth. The body is black dorsally and fades to white along the flanks and underside. Wavy white markings are painted along the flanks. A touch of orange is painted on the pelvic and caudal fins and the eyes are red. Although the toy is faithful to the real animal it is perhaps the most underwhelming figure in the set.

Arapaima (Arapaima gigas): The arapaima is one of the world’s largest freshwater fishes, reaching up to 10’ (3 meters) or more in length. They’re native to the Amazon basin but have been introduced into east Asia. They belong to the Osteoglossiformes order which date back to the Late Jurassic. Although not directly a threat to humans the species can inflict serious injury if startled or provoked, due to its size and strength.

The TFF arapaima measures 69.85mm which puts it at about 1/43 in scale. It is one of the better figures in the set, being highly detailed with large scales that nicely depict the armored scales of the actual fish. The dorsal and anal fin are set far back on the long and robust body. The head is somewhat flattened and upturned. In nature the arapaima breaths air as well as feeds from the surface. The figure is dark dorsally and fades to pale brown along the sides and white on the underside. Green and red markings are painted along the operculum and flanks. The local Brazilian name for the species is pirarucu which can be translated as “red fish”.

Goliath Tigerfish (Hydrocynus goliath): Found in the Congo River basin and Lake Tanganyika in Africa, the goliath tigerfish is the largest member of its genus, reaching 4.9’ (1.5 meters) in length. The fish is famous for its incredible dentition which aid it in consuming just about anything it can overpower and the species has reportedly attacked humans as well.

The TFF tigerfish measures 76.2mm which puts it at about 1/20 in scale. This is another highlight in the set and the most visually striking. The body is painted yellow with black horizontal stripes running down the flanks, and the fins are painted red except for the adipose fin. The mouth is wide open, nicely displaying the fish’s dentition. The teeth are painted white and a red spot within the mouth depicts its tongue. The actual tigerfish is generally more silver in color with some yellow or olive-green tones, but I appreciate the vibrant colors and detailed scalation presented on this figure.

Red-Bellied Piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri): Although the toy is only identified as a piranha it is unquestionably a red-bellied piranha. The red-bellied piranha is the only fish in this set that I would describe as popular and well known, with a close association to Halloween thanks to various horror movies and other media. At a maximum size of 20” (50.9 cm) the red-bellied piranha isn’t large but what it lacks in size it makes up for in its alleged ferocity and tendency to attack prey en masse. Although formidable and capable of taking large prey they usually eat smaller fishes, invertebrates, carrion, and even plants. The red-bellied piranha is found throughout South America.

The TFF piranha measures 53.9mm which would put it at about 1/9 in scale. It is perhaps the most realistically rendered fish in the entire set and represents another highlight for me. The body is predominantly gray with its namesake red belly. The eyes are yellow, teeth white, and the caudal fin is black with a white band running through it. Black markings also boarder the anal fin. The body has a nice, pitted texture, with the face and operculum being smooth, nicely illustrating the piranha’s life appearance. The eyes should be red instead of yellow.

All in all, this is a fantastic set. Initially I was reserved about buying it because the toys looked rather crude and the price a bit high but having this assortment of impressive and somewhat obscure fishes is really fantastic. The goonch and snakehead are perhaps the weakest toys in the set but still acceptable depictions of their species. The arapaima, tigerfish, and piranha are all exceptional, especially for their small size. I’m looking forward to eventually getting the other sets as well and hope to see more from Toy Fish Factory in the future. This set, as well as the others, are all available online for about $15.00. Go ahead and pick up some real-life (river) monsters for your spooky celebrations this year!