The Great Barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) is found in warm waters nearly worldwide. Slight changes in water temperature can bring subtropical fishes such as Great Barracuda northward (e.g., they may show up in numbers off southern California when water temperature increases from an average of around 15° C to 16° or 17° C). Great Barracuda, which may reach 2 m and 48 kg in size, are greenish gray above and whitish below, with many irregular small black blotches on the lower side. 18-22 diagonal dark bars are often evident on the upper side. The caudal fin is dark with white tips. There are 75-87 lateral line scales. Young fish have a dark stripe on the side, which breaks into dark squarish blotches as the fish grows. Markings differ sufficiently among individuals that they can be used to distinguish individuals in behavioral or other studies (Wilson et al. 2006). The fusiform (torpedo-shaped) body, with a large caudal (tail) fin and posteriorly positioned dorsal and anal fins, allows barracuda to capture prey with a sudden burst of speed. Young fish live in inshore seagrass beds, but adults range from inshore channels to open ocean. Although Giant Barracuda have a well-deserved reputation as fierce predators, attacks on humans are not common (and very rarely fatal) and generally involve unusual circumstances such as wading or swimming in turbid water while wearing bright objects or carrying speared fish. In at least some regions, the flesh of some barracuda, especially larger ones, is quite poisonous as a result of concentrating toxins originating from certain marine dinoflagellates farther down the food chain. (Robins and Ray 1986; Moyle 1993; Tosteson 2004)

You can usually find the great barracuda swimming near the surface of the water. Adults usually swim alone, especially at night, but at other times you can find both young and adult barracuda swimming in schools. A school is when many fish swim together. Sometimes hundreds or even thousands of barracuda will swim together, but this is rare. Barracuda attack almost anything, even if they eat only a little of it. They have been known to attack humans and cause serious injuries, but only if we bother them.

Found predominantly at or near the surface (Ref. 6949, 48637). Juvenile occurs among mangroves, estuaries and shallow sheltered inner reef areas; adult occurs in a wide range of habitats from murky inner harbors to open seas. Diurnal and solitary, but can also be found in small aggregations. Feeds on fishes, cephalopods and sometimes on shrimps (Ref. 9626, 48637). Sold fresh. Utilized also dried or salted (Ref. 9987). Although this species is ciguatoxic elsewhere throughout its range, it has not been reported to be poisonous in the eastern Atlantic (Ref. 6949, 48637). Rarely attacks humans, usually with one quick, fierce strike, which, although serious, is rarely fatal. The world's record on hook and line is a 5.5-ft. fish taken in the Bahamas that weighed 103 lbs. (Ref. 13442).

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.

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.

A vicious predator, the great barracuda is one of the scariest looking fish on the reef. You can find it swimming with its mouth open, showing off its long knife-like teeth, which it uses to slice large fish in half so it can eat them! If it is hunting fish near the bottom of the reef, it can darken its skin color to blend in and catch prey by surprise. This strategy is one example of cryptic coloration—the ability of many animals to use their skin color to blend in to their surroundings and remain unseen.

Gazi Bay, Gulf of Mexico, Kenyan Exclusive Economic Zone, Mtwapa, Ungama Bay

Indo-Pacific: Red Sea and east coast of Africa to Hawaii and the Marquesan and Tuamoto islands. Western Atlantic: Massachusetts (USA), Bermuda, and throughout the Caribbean Sea to Brazil (Ref. 9626). Eastern Atlantic: Sierra Leone, Côte d'Ivoire, Togo, Nigeria, Senegal (Ref. 6949), Mauritania (Ref. 5377), St. Paul's Rocks (Ref. 13121), and São Tomé Island (Ref. 34088).

Sphyraena barracuda, commonly known as great barracuda, inhabit nearly all warm seas (Blaber 1997). They are found in the tropical regions of the Indo-Pacific, and Atlantic oceans, with an absence only from the Eastern Pacific (Lieske and Myers 1999).They have been found in the Red Sea and as far as the Bermudas in the Western Atlantic. They have been seen as far north as Massachusetts (Beebe and Tee-Van 1933).

Biogeographic Regions: indian ocean (Native ); atlantic ocean (Native ); pacific ocean (Native )

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

The range of S. barracuda is nearly circumtropical, encompassing the warm waters of most oceans. The species is rarely found in northern areas where winter temperatures dip below 20 °C for extended periods of time. However, some individuals have been found in the cooler waters off the coast of the northeast United States, South Africa and Japan (de Sylva 1963). On the east coasts of North, Central and South America, the range of the great barracuda extends from Massachusetts to southern Brazil (Robins et al 1986). Barracuda, especially juveniles, are found throughout the lagoon in mangrove and seagrass habitats (Fah 1976) where food and shelter are prominent. However, the distribution of the species in the India River Lagoon may be linked in part to temperature. A study conducted by Kupschus & Tremain (2001) showed that the majority of fish collected were alongside other tropical and subtropical species at the southern end of the lagoon.

Circumglobal in tropical and subtropical seas (including Red Sea, Madagascar, Mascarenes, Hawaiian Islands), but except not in Eastern Pacific (waifs reaching Galapagos Islands).

Depth Range (m): 0 (S) - 25 (S)

See Map (including site records) of Distribution in the Tropical Eastern Pacific

 
Global Endemism: All species, TEP non-endemic, Circumtropical ( Indian + Pacific + Atlantic Oceans), "Transpacific" (East + Central &/or West Pacific), All Pacific (West + Central + East), East Pacific + Atlantic (East +/or West), Transisthmian (East Pacific + Atlantic of Central America), East Pacific + all Atlantic (East+West)

Regional Endemism: All species, Eastern Pacific non-endemic, Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) non-endemic, Continent + Island (s), Continent, Island (s)

Residency: Vagrant

Climate Zone: Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)

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

Sphyraena barracuda is a long silvery fish with two widely separate dorsal fins, characteristic of its family, Sphyraenidae.They have large scales and a pointed head with a large mouth and long knife-like teeth (Lieske and Myers 1999).Great barracuda have a large gape (Paterson 2000). They can reach up to 2 meters in length (Grosvenor 1978). Many fisherman used to think that barracudas were closely related to pikes because of the similarity in their body form. Sphyraena barracuda has a lower jaw projecting which is helpful in biting. They are a grayish brown above and silvery below which is quite universal throughout their geographic range. They often have dark ink-like spots that are arranged in no pattern on their sides. The young have dark crossbars on their backs and blotches on their sides. The young also have a soft dorsal fin and the anal and caudal fins can be blackish (Beebe and Tee-Van 1933). Males and females are indistinguishable to humans (Paterson 2000).

Range mass: 0 to 0 kg.

Average mass: 40 kg.

Length max (cm): 200.0 (S)

Maximum size: 2000 mm TL

200 cm TL (male/unsexed; (Ref. 7251)); max. published weight: 50.0 kg (Ref. 6949)

Adult S. barracuda commonly reach 2m, with a maximum reported length of 2.3m (Russell 2002). The maximum age of barracuda is unknown, but the typical lifespan may often exceed 14 years (de Sylva 1963).

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).

Type for Sphyraena barracuda
Catalog Number: USNM 49693
Collection: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Division of Fishes
Preparation: Illustration
Collector(s): United States Fish Commission (USFC)
Locality: Hawaiian Islands, Hawaii, United States, Pacific

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).

reef-associated; brackish; marine; depth range 1 - 100 m (Ref. 6949), usually 3 - 30 m (Ref. 40849)

Adult great barracudas live in and around the edges of coral reefs. They tend to avoid brackish water unless they are getting ready to spawn (Paterson 2000). Post-larvae live on the margins and in the estuaries where they are protected. When they get large enough to protect themselves, they will move out into the open ocean and then to the margins of the coral reefs. These barracudas occur in clear water (Blaber 1997).

Great barracudas prefer water temperatures between 74F and 82F, although they have been found in much colder water (Paterson 2000).

Aquatic Biomes: reef ; coastal

nektonic

Depth range based on 339 specimens in 1 taxon.
Water temperature and chemistry ranges based on 229 samples.

Environmental ranges
  Depth range (m): 0 - 1936
  Temperature range (°C): 3.468 - 29.061
  Nitrate (umol/L): 0.099 - 18.136
  Salinity (PPS): 32.183 - 37.096
  Oxygen (ml/l): 3.731 - 6.133
  Phosphate (umol/l): 0.046 - 1.175
  Silicate (umol/l): 0.567 - 15.017

Graphical representation

Depth range (m): 0 - 1936

Temperature range (°C): 3.468 - 29.061

Nitrate (umol/L): 0.099 - 18.136

Salinity (PPS): 32.183 - 37.096

Oxygen (ml/l): 3.731 - 6.133

Phosphate (umol/l): 0.046 - 1.175

Silicate (umol/l): 0.567 - 15.017
 
Note: this information has not been validated. Check this *note*. Your feedback is most welcome.

Depth: 0 - 100m.
Recorded at 100 meters.

Habitat: pelagic.

Salinity: Marine, Brackish

Inshore/Offshore: Inshore, Inshore Only

Water Column Position: Near Surface, Mid Water, Near Bottom, Water column only

Habitat: Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom), Estuary, Mangrove, Water column

FishBase Habitat: Pelagic

Found predominantly at or near the surface (Ref. 6949). Juveniles occur among mangroves, estuaries and shallow sheltered inner reef areas; adults occur in a wide range of habitats from murky inner harbors to open seas. Feeds on fishes, cephalopods and sometimes on shrimps (Ref. 9626). Feeds during the day as well as at night (diurnal and nocturnal). Juveniles prefer brackishwater areas, bays and stream mouths. Piscivore (Ref. 33499, 57616).

Great barracuda eat other fish. They are piscivorous at all ages. Their large teeth are quite useful for this purpose. They have a large gape which allows them to feed on very large fish by chopping them in half. They eat what they can catch using their combination of a sit-in-wait and active predator style. As juveniles, these fish compete with needlefishes and small snapper for food. This consists of killifishes, herrings, sardines, gobies, silversides, anchovies small mullets, and lizardfishes to name a few. As the fish get older and bigger, they may compete with larger fish like mackerel, or even dolphins, depending on their habitat (Paterson 2000).

Sphyraena barracuda will feed on both bottom-dwelling species as well as species of the higher water column (Paterson 2000).

They have the narrow head-on profile and the silvery color which reduces their visibility to prey. It has been observed that great barracudas herd schools of fish into shallow water and guard them. They will do this until their last meal has been digested and they are hungry again (Norman 1958).

Barracudas employ ram strike feeding, quickly lunging to force prey to into the jaws where sharp teeth and head shakes shear it into manageable pieces (Grubich et al. 2007, Porter & Motta 2004). The diet of S. barracuda consists mainly of schooling fishes, however studies of gut contents in both juveniles and adults have revealed solitary fishes and small numbers of crustaceans, mollusks and plant material (de Sylva 1963 & Fahs 1976). Prey selection is indiscriminate and determined by the mouth length of the barracuda, but certain prey items are found more frequently. In Florida, approximately 70% of the diet of juvenile S. barracuda is comprised of gobies, herrings, sardines and silversides (de Sylva 1963). In the Indian River Lagoon, the dominant prey item of young barracuda is the bay anchovy, Anchoa mitchilli (Fah 1976). Nearshore and coral reef fishes such as ballyhoo, triggerfishes and mullet are the primary prey of adult barracuda (de Sylva 1963). Predators: The speed and size of adult S. barracuda allows for few predators. However, juveniles and small adults have been reported in the guts of the goliath grouper, Epinephelus itajara, the dolphinfish, Coryphaena hippurus and several species of tuna (de Sylva, 1963). Habitats: Juvenile barracuda are commonly found in estuaries where they feed and take shelter in seagrass beds and among mangrove prop roots (Fah 1976). Solitary individuals or small groups of adults are typical on nearshore and coral reefs (Gudger 1918). Activity Time: Fah (1976) found that S. barracuda in the Indian River Lagoon are a diurnal species (active during the day), feeding in seagrass and mangrove habitats two hours after sunrise to about two hours before sunset. The great barracuda shares a similar diet with the northern sennet, S. borealis, which is a nocturnal feeder most active between 3:00 am and approximately two hours before sunrise. Differences in activity time between these two species are thought to be a method of niche separation to reduce competition for food resources.

Feeding Group: Carnivore

Diet: octopus/squid/cuttlefish, Pelagic crustacea, bony fishes

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.

While the great barracuda is generally a solitary species, juveniles and young adults are commonly found in seagrass beds and alongside mangrove forests. Studies conducted in the Indian River Lagoon documented a catch of 376 individuals ranging from 122 to 840 mm over a 17-month period from 1996 to 1998 (Kupschus & Tremain 2001).

Average lifespan

Status: captivity: 14 years.

Maximum longevity: 14 years

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.

Reproduction for S. barracuda occurs sexually through external fertilization. Sexual maturity is reached between the second and third year for males, and the third to fourth year for females. Barracudas do not exhibit sexual dimorphism, and sex can only be determined upon examination of the gonads. Adults spawn between April and October in southern Florida (de Sylva 1963), releasing eggs and sperm into the water column. Literature detailing spawning behavior in the great barracuda is lacking. However, in similar species, females may spawn several times in one season, releasing over 500,000 eggs each time (de Sylva 1963).

Egg Type: Pelagic, Pelagic larva

Little is known about the embryology of S. barracuda. De Sylva (1963) documented the collection of eggs from the ovaries of females, describing them as translucent and 0.74 to 0.81mm in diameter. However, these eggs were most likely immature and all attempts to culture embryos in the laboratory were unsuccessful.

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.


There are 46 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank.  Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.  See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.


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Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 43
Specimens with Barcodes: 93
Species With Barcodes: 1

IUCN Red List: Not evaluated / Listed

CITES: Not listed

Not Evaluated

People used to catch the great barracuda to eat, but since it has a lot of toxins in its body, it is not good to eat. In fact it’s illegal to sell the great barracuda for food in the USA. In some places people take too many fish out of the reef. The great barracuda can’t live in these places, because there is not enough food for it to eat!

Reefs are in danger, and that means so is the home of the great barracuda!

fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: public aquariums; price category: medium; price reliability: questionable: based on ex-vessel price for species in this genus

Great barracudas can be dangerous. This means beware, for many tourist who like to snorkel or dive in the Carribbean or in other clear waters where these fish live.

For those people who like to eat great barracudas, ciguaterra is an issue. Ciguaterra occurs more often in large fish (Grosvenor 1978). It is a debilitating illness that can result in some severe physiological changes, sometimes even death. Ciguatoxin is ingested when eating tropical and subtropical fish. Some species are more likely to be dangerous than others (Paterson 2000). Due to the danger of poison, great barracuda meat is illegal to sell (Food and Drug Administration 2000). For more information on poisoning from Sphyraena barracuda and other tropical fish, visit the Food and Drug Administrations web site at   The Seafood Product Research Center.

Great barracuda meat is tasty for some people. Very little barracuda meat is eaten in the United States, and few people like to fish them. But, for those who do, they are found to be great game fighters on light tackle (Grosvenor 1978).