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Great Barracuda

Sphyraena barracuda

Summary 5

The great barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) also known as the giant barracuda, is a species of barracuda. Great barracudas often grow over 6 feet (1.8 m) long and are a type of ray-finned fish.

Description 6

  Common names: barracuda (English), barracuda (Espanol), picuda (Espanol)
 
Sphyraena barracuda 1771)


Great barracuda


Body very elongate, robust, cylindrical at the front; head long with a long pointed snout; large protractile mouth with a distinctly protruding lower jaw; jaws and roof of mouth with many long sharp-edged teeth of unequal sizes; two widely separated dorsal fins (V + I, 8); small pectorals, 11-13 rays; pelvics I, 5, small, origin under pectoral fins, before first dorsal fin; anal fins small, II, 8, similar to and under 2nd  dorsal; a forked tail; with central lobes; a well-developed, straight lateral line; small smooth scales,  75-85 on lateral line.

Mid-grey above, paler below, ~ 20 oblique dark bars on back, extending below lateral line at rear; dorsals, tail and anal fin blackish, with white contrasting tips; body with scattered irregular black blotches.


Size: 200 cm.

Habitat: coastal and oceanic, nearbottom to surface.


Depth: 0-25 m.

Atlantic and Indo-central Pacific; vagrant at the Galapagos and western Panama.
 
    

Description 7

The body of Sphyraena barracuda is elongate to slightly compressed with small, cycloid scales. The head is long and pointed with a large, nearly horizontal jaw fitted with variably-sized flattened or conical canine teeth that extend to the roof of the mouth. Two short dorsal fins are widely separated, with the first located opposite or directly behind the pelvic fins, and the second opposite the anal fin. Usual fin ray counts are as follows: 1st dorsal = 5 strong spines, 2nd dorsal = 1 spine and 9 soft rays, anal = 2 spines and 7-9 rays, pectoral = 1 spine and 5 soft rays (Russell 2002). Young S. barracuda are characterized by a longitudinal dark stripe down the side which breaks into black bars over time, remaining visible in some adults. Overall adult coloration is gray to silver with a green to blue cast above and white below. The caudal fin is black with white tips and anterior lobes near the fork. Although coloration and pattern change, Wilson et al. (2006) found that S. barracuda retain natural markings over prolonged periods of time, which can aid in distinguishing individuals in a population.

Distribution 8

Western Atlantic: Massachusetts (USA), Bermuda, and throughout the Caribbean Sea to Brazil

Morphology 9

Dorsal spines (total): 6; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Analspines: 1; Analsoft rays: 10

Size 10

Maximum size: 2000 mm TL

Diagnostic description 11

Distinguished by the double emarginate tail fin with pale tips on each lobe, and (usually) the presence of a few scattered black blotches on the lower sides (Ref. 1602). Top of head between eyes flat or concave; mouth large (Ref. 26938).

Look alikes 12

Approximately 26 species of Sphyraena can be found in tropical and warm temperate waters worldwide. The range of S. barracuda overlaps with that of the guaguanche, S. guachancho, the northern sennet, S. borealis, and the southern sennet, S. picudilla (Russell 2002 & Robins et al 1986). However, it should be noted that S. borealis and S. picudilla may be synonymous. As adults, S. barracuda is the largest of these species and can be further distinguished by dark splotches or bars usually visible on the upper side and the number of scales along the lateral line. Adults also have characteristic lobes on the anterior margin of the caudal fin (Russell 2002) and lack the fleshy appendage located on the lower jaw of other species in the region (Robins et al. 1986).

I dnature guides 13

Identification key for shorefishes of the tropical eastern Pacific

Habitat 14

nektonic

Why reef menu 15

Fish are the barracuda’s favorite meal. The barracuda has even been known to even eat poisonous fish and other barracuda. It will also eat shrimps and squids. Because it only eats other animals, it is a carnivore.

Reproduction 16

It is still unclear about the timing and location of spawning of Sphyraena barracuda. Some research reports that they spawn in the spring. Others claim that they spawn in association with particular phases of the moon. Still others claim that great barracudas spawn throughout the year with the exception of the winter months when it is cooler. It may be that great barracudas show different spawning patterns in different areas of the world. Overall, the picture of spawning patterns in great barracudas is incomplete (Paterson 2000).

Great barracuda do not care for their fertilized eggs. They are left to drift out into the ocean and eventually take form (Paterson 2000). When the fish spawn they enter shallow waters such as estuaries. The larvae hatches and seeks shallow weedy areas on the margins of clear-water estuaries. When the larvae reach a length of about 80mm they move to the deeper waters of adjacent reed beds. At about 300mm they will move to open waters and eventually they will move out of the estuaries completely at about 500mm in length (Blaber 1997).

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 1460 days.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 740 days.

Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization (External ); oviparous

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)
Sex: male: 730 days.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
Sex: female: 1460 days.

Link to Access Genomic Data 17

http://www.boldsystems.org/index.php/Public_SearchTerms?query=%22Sphyraena%20barracuda%22[tax]

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) John E. Randall, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://d1iraxgbwuhpbw.cloudfront.net/images/species/spbar_u0.jpg
  2. (c) Ivo Antušek, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), https://www.biolib.cz/IMG/GAL/9134.jpg
  3. (c) Michal Maňas, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.biolib.cz/IMG/GAL/21977.jpg
  4. (c) Jiří Bukovský, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), https://www.biolib.cz/IMG/GAL/64383.jpg
  5. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphyraena_barracuda
  6. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) Shorefishes of the tropical eastern Pacific online information system. www.stri.org/sftep, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/26220529
  7. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/11527620
  8. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) WoRMS for SMEBD, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://eol.org/data_objects/28472208
  9. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) FishBase, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/20915655
  10. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) FishWise Professional, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/24178479
  11. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) FishBase, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/20915654
  12. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/11527623
  13. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) Discover Life and original sources, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/11586744
  14. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) WoRMS for SMEBD, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://eol.org/data_objects/28472868
  15. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) WhyReef, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://eol.org/data_objects/2738405
  16. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/18673941
  17. (c) matbio, all rights reserved

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