This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. (January 2008)

Barracuda Fossil range: Early Eocene to Present[1]
Great barracuda, Sphyraena barracuda, with prey
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Perciformes Family: Sphyraenidae Genus: Sphyraena Klein, 1778
Species
See text. Barracuda may refer to: In biology: Barracuda, a predator fish found in tropical and subtropical oceans Acestrorhynchus, a South American freshwater fish sometimes referred to as freshwater barracuda Barracuda, another name for the Shocker (hand gesture) In companies: Barracuda Networks, an American company providing firewall products Barracuda Group Ltd, a... hfajhfiudshfas == == == --24. ... Image File history File links Barracuda_with_prey. ... Binomial name The Great Barracuda is a species of barracuda. ... Scientific classification redirects here. ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Classes See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ... Orders See text The Actinopterygii are the ray-finned fish. ... Families many, see text The Perciformes, also called the Percomorphi or Acanthopteri, include about 40% of all fish and are the largest order of vertebrates. ... For other uses, see Species (disambiguation). ...

The barracuda is a ray-finned fish known for its large size (around 6 ft in length and up to a foot in width^[2]) and fearsome appearance. Its body is long, fairly compressed, and covered with small, smooth scales. It is found in tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide. It is of the genus Sphyraena, the only genus in the family Sphyraenidae. Orders See text The Actinopterygii are the ray-finned fish. ... In this SEM image of a butterfly wing the scales are clearly visible, and the tiny platelets on each individual scale are just barely visible in the striping. ...

Appearance and physical description

Great barracuda hovering in the current at the Paradise Reef, Cozumel, Mexico.

Barracudas are elongated fish with powerful jaws. The lower jaw of the large mouth juts out beyond the upper. Barracudas possess strong, fang-like teeth. These are unequal in size and set in sockets in the jaws on the roof of the mouth. The head is quite large, pointed, and it is pike-like in appearance. The gill-covers do not have spines and are covered with small scales. The two dorsal fins are widely separated, with the first having five spines and the second having one spine and nine soft rays. The second dorsal fin equals the anal fin in size and is situated more or less above it. The lateral line is prominent and extends straight from head to tail. The spinous dorsal fin is placed above the pelvics. The hind end of the caudal fin is forked or concave. It is set at the end of a stout peduncle. The pectoral fins are placed low down on the sides. The barracuda swim bladder is large. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (999x750, 412 KB) Barracuda hovering in the strong current at the Paradise Reef, Cozumel, 2003. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (999x750, 412 KB) Barracuda hovering in the strong current at the Paradise Reef, Cozumel, 2003. ... Cozumel (Mayan: Island of the Swallows) (Kùutsmil in Modern Maya) is an island in the Caribbean Sea off the eastern coast of Mexicos Yucatán Peninsula, opposite Playa del Carmen. ... Human jaw front view Human jaw left view Human jaw top view The jaw is either of the two opposable structures forming, or near the entrance to, the mouth. ... For other uses, see Mouth (disambiguation). ... Look up fang in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... In medicine, dental alveoli are naturally-occurring sockets in the jaws in which the roots of teeth are held. ... Species  E. americanus –       grass and redfin pickerels  E. lucius – northern pike  E. masquinongy – muskellunge  E. niger – chain pickerel   – Amur pike Esox Linnaeus, 1758, is a genus of freshwater fish, the only member of the pike family (family Esocidae) of order Esociformes. ... Dorsal fin of an orca A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of fishes, whales, dolphins, and porpoises, as well as the (extinct) ichthyosaurs. ... In fish, the lateral line is a sense organ used to detect movement in the surrounding water. ... Fish anatomy is primarily governed by the physical characteristics of water, which is much denser than air, holds a relatively small amount of dissolved oxygen, and absorbs light more than does air. ... The term peduncle has several meanings: In botany, a Peduncle (botany) is a flower stalk, or stem. ... Fish anatomy is primarily governed by the physical characteristics of water, which is much denser than air, holds a relatively small amount of dissolved oxygen, and absorbs light more than does air. ... The gas bladder (also fish maw, less accurately swim bladder or air bladder) is an internal organ that contributes to the ability of a fish to control its buoyancy, and thus to stay at the current water depth, ascend, or descend without having to waste energy in swimming. ...

In general, the barracuda's coloration is dark green or gray above chalky-white below. This varies somewhat. Sometimes there is a row of darker cross-bars or black spots on each side. The fins may be yellowish or dusky. Barracudas only live in oceans.

Only some species of barracuda grow to a large size. The species which do are the European barracuda, barracouta or spet (S. sphyraena), found in the Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic; the great barracuda, picuda or becuna (S. picuda), ranging on the Atlantic coast of tropical America from Florida to Brazil and reaching the Bermudas; the California Barracuda (S. argentea), extending from Puget Sound southwards to Cabo San Lucas; the Indian barracuda (S. jello) and the black-finned or Commerson's barracuda (S. commersoni), both from the seas of India and the Malay Peninsula and Archipelago. The Atlantic Ocean is Earths second-largest ocean, covering approximately one_fifth of its surface. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ... Motto Quo Fata Ferunt(Latin) Whither the Fates Carry [Us] Anthem God Save the Queen (official) Hail to Bermuda (unofficial) Capital (and largest city) Hamilton Official languages English (official);1Portuguese Government British overseas territory  -  Queen HM Queen Elizabeth II  -  Governor Sir John Vereker  -  Premier Ewart Brown Area  -  Total 53. ... This article is about the U.S state. ... Puget Sound For the university in this region, see University of Puget Sound. ... Cabo is well known for its pristine beaches. ... The Malay Peninsula (Malay: Semenanjung Tanah Melayu) is a major peninsula located in Southeast Asia. ... The Mergui Archipelago The Archipelago Sea, situated between the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland, the largest archipelago in the world by the number of islands. ...

Behavior

Scuba diver inside a school of sawtooth barracudas in Koh Tao, Thailand.

Closeup of a Great Barracuda

Great Barracuda and Jacks, Saba, Netherlands Antilles

Barracudas occur both singly and in schools around reefs, but also appear in open seas. They are voracious predators and hunt using a classic example of lie-in-wait or ambush. They rely on surprise and short bursts of speed (up to 27mph (43 km/h)^[3]) to overrun their prey, sacrificing maneuverability. Scuba diver inside a school of Chevron barracudas. ... Scuba diver inside a school of Chevron barracudas. ... Sairee-Beach Ko Tao (also often Koh Tao, Thai: เกาะเต่า, lit. ... Image File history File links 7373_aquaimages. ... Image File history File links 7373_aquaimages. ... Image File history File links 3875_aquaimages. ... Image File history File links 3875_aquaimages. ... Motto Remis Velisque (Latin) With oars and sails (English) Anthem Saba you rise from the ocean Capital The Bottom Largest city The Bottom Official languages Dutch, Papiamento and English (unofficial) Government See Politics of the Netherlands Antilles  -  Saba Administrator A.J.M. Solagnier  -  Governor of N.A. Frits Goedgedrag Constitutional... School of juvenile herring - many fish have the opercula wide open for ram feeding and you can see the red gills The term swarm (schooling or swarming) is applied to fish, birds and insects and describes a behavior of an aggregation (school) of animals of similar size and body orientation... This snapping turtle is trying to make a meal of a Canada goose, but the goose is too wary. ...

The larger barracudas are more or less solitary in their habits. Young and half-grown fish frequently congregate in schools. Their food is composed of fish of all types. Large barracudas, when gorged, may attempt to herd a shoal of prey fish in shallow water, where they guard over them until they are ready for another meal.

Barracudas and humans

Like sharks, barracudas have long had a bad reputation as being dangerous to humans, even though hundreds of scuba divers have lost a finger or two to a large, angry barracuda that's protecting its territory from large, unfamiliar creatures like man. Barracudas have been observed following snorkelers and scuba divers across a reef, which can make one feel uncomfortable, but they are harmless unless provoked. As barracudas are also scavengers, they may mistake snorkelers for large predators and follow them to scavenge the remains of any prey left after an attack. For other uses, see Shark (disambiguation). ...

Being formidable hunters, they should be respected, as barracudas are perfectly capable of defending themselves against humans that harass them. Handfeeding or trying to touch them is strongly discouraged^{[citation needed]}. Spearfishing around barracudas can also be quite dangerous, as they are strongly attracted by the wounded fish. // Spearfisherman hunting dog-tooth tuna in the Ryu-Kyu Islands Dutch fishermen using tridents in the 17th century Night spear fishing, Amazon basin, Peru. ...

There have been isolated cases where barracudas haven bitten a human, but these incidents are rare and are believed to be caused by bad visibility. Barracudas will stop after the first bite as humans are not their normal food source.^{[citation needed]}

As food

Barracudas are caught as both food and game fish. They are most often eaten as fillet or steak and have a strong taste like tuna or salmon. Larger species, like the great barracuda, have in some areas been implicated in cases of ciguatera food poisoning^[4]. In southern Nigeria, West Africa they are smoked and used in the preparation of different soups. The reason for smoking is because when cooked fresh, the fish is quite soft and disintegrates in the soup. For other uses, see Tuna (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Salmon (disambiguation). ... Chemical structure of the ciguatoxin CTX1B Ciguatera is a foodborne illness poisoning in humans caused by eating marine species whose flesh is contaminated with a toxin known as ciguatoxin, which is present in many micro-organisms (particularly, the micro-algae Gambierdiscus toxicus) living in tropical waters. ...  Western Africa (UN subregion)  Maghreb[1] West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. ... Wikibooks Cookbook has more about this subject: Smoking Smoking is the process of curing, cooking, or seasoning food by exposing it for long periods of time to the smoke from a wood fire. ... For other uses, see Soup (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Soup (disambiguation). ...

Angling

Barracuda are prize fish, and can be caught either by fly or sea fishing. They are extremely powerful, and require tough and strong rods.

Species

A school of sawtooth barracudas, Sphyraena putnamae in Bora Bora.

Northern sennet, Sphyraena borealis

A school of yellowtail barracudas, Sphyraena flavicauda off Dayang, Malaysia.

There are 26 known species: A school of barracuda. ... A school of barracuda. ... Mount Otemanu, Bora Bora Bora Bora Pearl Beach Resort, Bora Bora Frigate Flor al, stationned in Bora-Bora lagoon Bora Bora is an atoll in French Polynesia, about 260 km northwest of the capital, Papeete. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1756x480, 97 KB) Northern sennet, Sphyraena borealis From [1] File links The following pages link to this file: Barracuda ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1756x480, 97 KB) Northern sennet, Sphyraena borealis From [1] File links The following pages link to this file: Barracuda ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (3264x2448, 1463 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Barracuda Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (3264x2448, 1463 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Barracuda Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create... Binomial name Sphyraena flavicauda Rüppell, 1838 The yellowtail barracuda, Sphyraena flavicauda, a barracuda of the family Sphyraenidae, is found in Indo-West Pacific oceans. ...

• Sharpfin barracuda, Sphyraena acutipinnis Day, 1876.
• Guinean barracuda, Sphyraena afra Peters, 1844.
• Pacific barracuda, Sphyraena argentea Girard, 1854.
• Great barracuda, Sphyraena barracuda (Edwards in Catesby, 1771).
• Northern sennet, Sphyraena borealis DeKay, 1842.
• Yellowstripe barracuda, Sphyraena chrysotaenia Klunzinger, 1884.
• Mexican barracuda, Sphyraena ensis Jordan & Gilbert, 1882.
• Yellowtail barracuda, Sphyraena flavicauda Rüppell, 1838.
• Bigeye barracuda, Sphyraena forsteri Cuvier, 1829.
• Guachanche barracuda, Sphyraena guachancho Cuvier, 1829.
• Heller's barracuda, Sphyraena helleri Jenkins, 1901.
• Sphyraena iburiensis Doiuchi & Nakabo, 2005.
• Pelican barracuda, Sphyraena idiastes Heller & Snodgrass, 1903.
• Japanese barracuda, Sphyraena japonica Cuvier, 1829.
• Pickhandle barracuda, Sphyraena jello Cuvier, 1829.
• Lucas barracuda, Sphyraena lucasana Gill, 1863.
• Australian barracuda, Sphyraena novaehollandiae Günther, 1860.
• Obtuse barracuda, Sphyraena obtusata Cuvier, 1829.
• Southern sennet, Sphyraena picudilla Poey, 1860.
• Red barracuda, Sphyraena pinguis Günther, 1874.
• Sawtooth barracuda, Sphyraena putnamae Jordan & Seale, 1905.
• Blackfin barracuda, Sphyraena qenie Klunzinger, 1870.
• European barracuda, Sphyraena sphyraena (Linnaeus, 1758).
• Sphyraena tome Fowler, 1903.
• Yellowmouth barracuda, Sphyraena viridensis Cuvier, 1829.
• Sphyraena waitii Ogilby, 1908.

Charles Frédéric Girard (March 8, 1822 - January 29, 1895) was a French biologist specializing on ichthyology and herpetology. ... Binomial name The Great Barracuda is a species of barracuda. ... The Great Barracuda is a species of barracuda. ... Binomial name Sphyraena flavicauda Rüppell, 1838 The yellowtail barracuda, Sphyraena flavicauda, a barracuda of the family Sphyraenidae, is found in Indo-West Pacific oceans. ... Binomial name Sphyraena flavicauda Rüppell, 1838 The yellowtail barracuda, Sphyraena flavicauda, a barracuda of the family Sphyraenidae, is found in Indo-West Pacific oceans. ... Eduard Rüppell. ... Georges Cuvier Baron Georges Léopold Chrétien Frédéric Dagobert Cuvier (August 23, 1769–May 13, 1832) was a French naturalist and zoologist. ... Georges Cuvier Baron Georges Léopold Chrétien Frédéric Dagobert Cuvier (August 23, 1769–May 13, 1832) was a French naturalist and zoologist. ... Georges Cuvier Baron Georges Léopold Chrétien Frédéric Dagobert Cuvier (August 23, 1769–May 13, 1832) was a French naturalist and zoologist. ... Binomial name Sphyraena jello Cuvier in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1829 The Pickhandle barracuda (Sphyraena jello) is so called because the dark marks along its side look like the thick ends of pickaxe handles. ... Binomial name Sphyraena jello Cuvier in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1829 The Pickhandle barracuda (Sphyraena jello) is so called because the dark marks along its side look like the thick ends of pickaxe handles. ... Georges Cuvier Baron Georges Léopold Chrétien Frédéric Dagobert Cuvier (August 23, 1769–May 13, 1832) was a French naturalist and zoologist. ... Theodore Nicholas Gill (1837 - 1914) was an American ichthyologist. ... Binomial name Günther, 1860 The Australian barracuda, arrow barracuda, Australian sea pike, sea pike, snook, or shortfin barracuda, Sphyraena novaehollandiae, is a barracuda of the genus Sphyraena, found in tropical and subtropical waters of the east Indian Ocean, around Australia and New Guinea, and between North Cape and East... Binomial name Sphyraena novaehollandiae Günther, 1860 The Australian barracuda, Arrow barracuda, Australian sea pike, Sea pike, Snook, or Shortfin barracuda (Sphyraena novaehollandiae), a barracuda of the genus Sphyraena, is found in tropical and subtropical waters of the east Indian Ocean, around Australia and New Guinea, and between North Cape... Albrecht Carl Ludwig Gotthilf Günther. ... Binomial name Sphyraena obtusata Cuvier, 1829 The obtuse barracuda, Sphyraena obtusata, a barracuda of the family Sphyraenidae, is found in tropical oceans of the world. ... Binomial name Sphyraena obtusata Cuvier, 1829 The obtuse barracuda, Sphyraena obtusata, a barracuda of the family Sphyraenidae, is found in tropical oceans of the world. ... Georges Cuvier Baron Georges Léopold Chrétien Frédéric Dagobert Cuvier (August 23, 1769–May 13, 1832) was a French naturalist and zoologist. ... Felipe Poey y Aloy (May 26, 1799 - January 28, 1891) was a Cuban zoologist. ... Albrecht Carl Ludwig Gotthilf Günther. ... Carl Linnaeus, Latinized as Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as  , (May 13, 1707[1] – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist[2] who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of nomenclature. ... Georges Cuvier Baron Georges Léopold Chrétien Frédéric Dagobert Cuvier (August 23, 1769–May 13, 1832) was a French naturalist and zoologist. ... William Ogilby (1808 - 1873) was an Irish barrister and naturalist. ...

Notes

Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

• "Sphyraenidae". FishBase. Ed. Rainer Froese and Daniel Pauly. January 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
• Labat Jean-Baptiste (1663-1738) Nouveau voyage Isles de l'Amerique, contenant l'histoire naturelle...l'origine, les mour, la religion Paris 1742.
• Norman JR, F.L.S. and Fraser, FC, D.Sc., F.L.S.Field Book of Giant Fishes G.P. Putnam's Sons New York 1949.
• Rochefort Charles D. (1605-1683) Histoire naturelle et morale des illes Antilles de l'Amerique.
• Sloane Hans Sir (1660-1753) A voyage to the islands of Madera, Barbados, Nieves, S. Christophers and Jamaica London, Printed by BM for the author, 1707-1725.

FishBase is a comprehensive database of information about fish. ... This article is about the capital of France. ... Madera may refer to: Madera, Chihuahua, Mexico Madera, California, United States Madera County, California, United States This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Sphyraenidae

Look up Barracuda in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Great Barracuda page on website of the Florida Museum of National History.
• The Great Barracuda Pages.
• Sphyraenidae entry on Animal Diversity Web.