The Great Barracuda – By Nikki Carnevale

Biological Classification

Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata

Subphylum Vertebrata Class Actinopterygii

Order Perciformes Suborder Scombroidei Family Sphyraenidae

Species Sphyraena barracuda

                                                                            

Geographical Distribution

The great barracuda lives in warm waters throughout the world, as shown by the red region in the map below. Because it lives in warmer waters it is most commonly found between longitudes 30 degrees north and 30 degrees south. The most populated area of barracudas is in the Western Atlantic from Massachusetts to Brazil, and also the Caribbean region and the Gulf of Mexico.

Habitat-Great barracudas commonly occur in near shore coral reefs, sea grasses, and mangroves.

-Most barracuda are solitary fish, although some groups who live out in the open ocean will stick together.

-Barracuda who live in the open ocean are pretty rare, and are never found below depths 325 feet. These barracuda usually come into the shallows at night to sleep.

Anatomy and Distinctive Features

The body is colored silver overall, with dark green to gray along the back. Blotches on the lower sides are variable in number, size, and position. The species reaches a length of 6 feet and a weight slightly greater than 100 pounds. The top of the head between the eyes is nearly flat and the mouth is large, containing many large sharp teeth and a projecting lower jaw. The reflective silver color found on some barracudas allows it to use sunlight as a way to confuse its prey.

Interesting Facts about the Barracuda

1. Barracudas can be found in huge schools of several thousand

2. Great Barracudas do not care for their young.

3. Humans have not derived a way to tell a male Barracuda from a female.

4. Barracudas have two completely separate dorsal fins.

5. Barracudas are generally hunted for gaming purposes. They do not make good eating fish.

6. Barracudas have sharp, canine-like teeth that can slice its victims to pieces.

                                                

What Do Barracudas Eat?

Great barracudas feed on:

Fish like jacks, grunts, groupers, snappers, small tunas, mullets, killifishes, herrings, and anchovies.

How Do Barracudas Catch Their Food?

-Barracuda lay still in grass beds, camouflaged while waiting for a fish to swim by.

-When they see a good fish, barracuda attack almost instantaneously, using bursts of speed that can reach 36 miles per hour.

-Prey have literally no time to react, and once they are caught they don't stand a chance because the barracuda cuts them in to pieces and swallows them.

Why Barracudas Attack

Barracudas rarely attack humans, most attacks were cases of mistaken identity:

-The barracuda mistakes a hand or a foot as prey

-They attack shiny objects such as a bracelet or a watch on divers because the shiny objects look like small fish to the barracuda

-A lot of splashing may cause an attack because the barracuda thinks it’s struggling fish

Reproduction-Very little is known about the spawning and reproduction of the great barracuda.

-It is believed that barracuda spawning is seasonal.

-It is thought that eggs are laid in deep water, where they ride the current and attach to grass beds.

-When they hatch they stay hidden in vegetation and bear no resemblance to adults until they reach about ½ inch.

-In the second year of their life, they move out into the open water

-Barracudas reach sexual maturity when they are about 2 feet long. (2 yrs for males, 4 yrs for females)