Species: Sphyraena barracuda, Great Barracuda

Sphyraena barracuda (Edwards, 1771)

Great Barracuda

Body elongate, robust, cylindrical at the front; head long with a long pointed snout; large protractile mouth with a distinctly protruding lower jaw; top jaw reaches to under eye; jaws and roof of mouth with many long sharp-edged teeth of unequal sizes; gill rakers present as 1-2 short spines or spiny plates at angle of gill arch; two widely separated dorsal fins (V + I, 8-10); anal fin small, II, 8, similar to and under 2nd dorsal; last rays of dorsal and anal fins not distinctly longer than rays just before them; pectorals, small reach to or beyond pelvic base and under origin of dorsal fin; pelvics I, 5, small, origin before origin of dorsal fin, about midway between tip of lower jaw and base of last anal fin ray; a forked tail with central lobes; small smooth scales, 75-87 on lateral line; a well-developed, straight lateral line.

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

Size: 200 cm; current IGFA world record 39.6 kg.

Habitat: coastal and oceanic, nearbottom to surface.

Depth: 0-450 m.

Circumtropical; Massachusetts to Brazil.