Barracuda
| Barracudas | |
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| Great barracuda, Sphyraena barracuda, with prey | |
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| Family: | Sphyraenidae
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| Genus: | Sphyraena Klein, 1778
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| Species | |
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See text. | |
Barracudas are ray-finned fishes notable for their large size (up to 1.8 m or 6 ft) and fearsome appearance. They are found in tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide. Their genus Sphyraenus is the only genus in the family Sphyraenidae.
Barracudas are elongated fishes, with the lower jaw of the large mouth jutting out, and displaying prominent fang-shaped teeth. The two dorsal fins are widely separated, with the first having five spines and the second having one spine and nine soft rays. The lateral line is prominent.
They are caught as food and game fish (however, barracuda flesh can occasionally contain ciguatera toxin).
Behavior
Barracudas occur both singly and in schools around reefs, but also appear in open seas. They are voracious predators and hunt using a classic example of lie-in-wait or ambush. They rely on surprise and short bursts of speed to overrun their prey, sacrificing maneuverability.
There have been a few isolated cases where barracudas attacked a human thinking that part of it was a fish, but these incidents are extremely rare, especially considering the number of times that barracudas and humans encounter each other.
While barracudas sometimes follow snorkelers and scuba divers across the reef, which can make one feel uncomfortable, there exist no substantiated reports of unprovoked attacks. Known incidents generally involve spearfishing or hand feeding.
Species
- Yellowstripe barracuda, Sphyraena chrysotaenia Klunzinger, 1884.
- Mexican barracuda, Sphyraena ensis Jordan & Gilbert, 1882.
- Yellowtail barracuda, Sphyraena flavicauda Rüppell, 1838.
- Bigeye barracuda, Sphyraena forsteri Cuvier, 1829.
- Guachanche barracuda, Sphyraena guachancho Cuvier, 1829.
- Heller's barracuda, Sphyraena helleri Jenkins, 1901.
- Sphyraena iburiensis Doiuchi & Nakabo, 2005.
- Pelican barracuda, Sphyraena idiastes Heller & Snodgrass, 1903.
- Japanese barracuda, Sphyraena japonica Cuvier, 1829.
- Pickhandle barracuda, Sphyraena jello Cuvier, 1829.
- Lucas barracuda, Sphyraena lucasana Gill, 1863.
- Australian barracuda, Sphyraena novaehollandiae Günther, 1860.
- Obtuse barracuda, Sphyraena obtusata Cuvier, 1829.
- Southern sennet, Sphyraena picudilla Poey, 1860.
- Red barracuda, Sphyraena pinguis Günther, 1874.
- Sawtooth barracuda, Sphyraena putnamae Jordan & Seale, 1905.
- Blackfin barracuda, Sphyraena qenie Klunzinger, 1870.
- European barracuda, Sphyraena sphyraena (Linnaeus, 1758).
- Sphyraena tome Fowler, 1903.
- Yellowmouth barracuda, Sphyraena viridensis Cuvier, 1829.
- Sphyraena waitii Ogilby, 1908.
References
- Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2006). "Sphyraenidae" in FishBase. January 2006 version.
External links
- Sphyraenidae entry on Animal Diversity Web
- The Great Barracuda Pages