Genus: Sphyraena, Barracuda, Barracudas

SPHYRAENA

BARRACUDAS

Body very elongate, 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; gill rakers absent, or 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, 7-10, similar to and under 2nd dorsal; small pectorals; pelvics I, 5, small, inserted well behind pectoral base; a forked tail; small smooth scales; a well-developed, straight, complete lateral line; silvery, often with darker bars or chevron markings.

A circumglobal tropical to warm temperate genus with 26 species; represented in our region by 3 species, 1 circumtropical and 2 W Atlantic.