Barracuda

Barracuda
Temporal range: 56–0 Ma
Early Eocene to present[1]
Sphyraena barracuda in Saba, Netherlands Antilles
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Actinopterygii
Order:Scombriformes
Family:Sphyraenidae
Genus:Sphyraena
J. T. Klein, 1778
Type species
Esox sphyraena
Linnaeus 1758

The barracuda is a ray-finned fish known for its large size, fearsome appearance and ferocious behaviour. The barracuda is a saltwater fish of the genus Sphyraena, the only genus in the family Sphyraenidae which was named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque in 1815.[2] It is found in tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide ranging from the eastern border of the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, on its western border the Caribbean Sea, and in tropical areas of the Pacific Ocean. Barracudas reside near the top of the water and near coral reefs and sea grasses.[3]

Description

Photo of baracuda with coral swimming above coral
Great barracuda hovering in the current at the Paradise Reef, Cozumel, Mexico

Barracuda are snake-like in appearance, with prominent, sharp-edged, fang-like teeth, much like piranha, all of different sizes, set in sockets of their large jaws. They have large, pointed heads with an underbite in many species. Their gill covers have no spines and are covered with small scales. Their two dorsal fins are widely separated, with the anterior fin having five spines, and the posterior fin having one spine and 9 soft rays. The posterior dorsal fin is similar in size to the anal fin and is situated above it. The lateral line is prominent and extends straight from head to tail. The spinous dorsal fin is placed above the pelvic fins and is normally retracted in a groove. The caudal fin is moderately forked with its posterior edged double-curved and is set at the end of a stout peduncle. The pectoral fins are placed low on the sides. Its swim bladder is large.

In most cases, a barracuda is dark gray, dark green, white, or blue on its upper body, with silvery sides and a chalky-white belly. Coloration varies somewhat between species. For some species, irregular and unorganized black spots or a row of darker cross-bars occur on each side. Their fins may be yellowish or dusky. Barracudas live primarily in oceans, but certain species, such as the great barracuda, live in brackish water.

Some species grow quite large (up to 65 inches or 165 cm in length),[4] such as Sphyraena sphyraena, found in the Mediterranean Sea and eastern Atlantic; Sphyraena picudilla, ranging on the Atlantic coast of tropical America from North Carolina to Brazil and reaching Bermuda. Other barracuda species are found around the world. Examples are Sphyraena argentea, found from Puget Sound southwards to Cabo San Lucas, Sphyraena jello, from the seas of India and the Malay Peninsula and Archipelago.

Species

Currently, 28 species in this genus are recognized:

Woman carrying a barracuda in Madagascar

Behavior and diet

Photo of diver swimming among barracuda
Scuba diver swimming inside a group of Sphyraena putnamae off Ko Tao, Thailand.
Photo of barracuda head in profile with jaw extended
Close-up of Sphyraena barracuda
Sphyraena barracuda, with prey
School of Sphyraena qenie, at Elphinstone Reef in the Red Sea
A battery of Sphyraena putnamae, in Bora Bora
A battery of Sphyraena flavicauda off Dayang, Malaysia
Sphyraena borealis

Barracudas are ferocious, opportunistic predators, relying on surprise and short bursts of speed, up to 27 mph (43 km/h),[7] to overtake their prey.

Adults of most species are more or less solitary, while young and half-grown fish frequently congregate. Barracudas prey primarily on fish (which may include some as large as themselves). They kill and consume larger prey by tearing chunks of flesh. Barracuda are competitive species and often are seen competing against mackerel, needle fish and sometimes even dolphins for prey.[3]

Barracuda feed on an array of prey including fish such as jacks, grunts, groupers, snappers, small tunas, mullets, killifishes, herrings, and anchovies by simply biting them in half.[8] They also seem to consume smaller species of sustenance that are in front of them.

Interactions with humans

Like sharks, some species of barracuda are reputed to be dangerous to swimmers. Barracudas are scavengers, and may mistake snorkellers for large predators, following them hoping to eat the remains of their prey. Swimmers have reported being bitten by barracuda, but such incidents are rare and possibly caused by poor visibility. Large barracudas can be encountered in muddy shallows on rare occasion. Barracudas may mistake things that glint and shine for prey.[9] One incident reported a barracuda jumping out of water and injuring a kayaker,[10] but Jason Schratwieser, conservation director of the International Game Fish Association, said that the wound could have been caused by a houndfish.[11]

Handfeeding or touching large barracudas in general is to be avoided. Spearfishing around barracudas can also be dangerous, as they may be attracted to the injured animals and attempt to eat them.

As food

Barracudas are popular both as food and game fish. They are most often eaten as fillets or steaks. Larger species, such as the great barracuda, have been implicated in cases of ciguatera food poisoning.[12] Those who have been diagnosed with this type of food poisoning display symptoms of gastrointestinal discomfort, limb weakness, and an inability to differentiate hot from cold effectively.[8]

West Africans smoke them for use in soups and sauces. Smoking protects the soft flesh from disintegrating in the broth and gives it a smoky flavour.

References

  1. ↑ Sepkoski, J. (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera". Bulletins of American Paleontology. 363: 1–560. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23.
  2. ↑ N. Bailly (2015). "Sphyraenidae Rafinesque, 1815". World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  3. 1 2 Millburn, N. "The Great Barracuda's Diet". Animals - PawNation. Archived from the original on 2013-12-03.
  4. ↑ Fischer, W. (1987). Guide Fao d'Identification des Espèces pour les Besoins de la Pêche Volume 2: Vertébrés. Rome: Laboratoire d’Ichtyologie générale et appliquée Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle. pp. ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/009/x0170f/x0170f82.pdf.
  5. ↑ Abdussamad, E.M., Retheesh, T.B., Thangaraja, R., Bineesh, K.K. & Prakashan, D. (2015). "Sphyraena arabiansis a new species of barracuda (Family: Sphyraenidae) from the south-west coast of India". Indian Journal of Fisheries. 62 (2): 1–6.
  6. ↑ Pastore, M.A. (2009). "Sphyraena intermedia sp. nov. (Pisces: Sphyraenidae): a potential new species of barracuda identified from the central Mediterranean Sea". Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. 89 (6): 1299–1303. doi:10.1017/s0025315409000575.
  7. ↑ Martin, R.A. "What's the Speediest Marine Creature?". ReefQuest Centre for Shark Research.
  8. 1 2 "Barracuda Fish Facts". AtlanticPanic.
  9. ↑ Bester, C. "Great barracuda". Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  10. ↑ Fletcher, P. (2010). Marshall, J., ed. "Jumping barracuda injures kayaker off Florida Keys". Reuters.
  11. ↑ Fleshler, D. & Ortega, J. (2010). "Leaping fish punctures lung of woman kayaking in Keys". Sun Sentinel.
  12. ↑ "Hazard, Market, Geographic and Nomenclature Information for Great Barracuda". Regulatory Fish Encyclopedia (RFE). U.S. Food & Drug Administration. 2002. Archived from the original on 2003-02-26.
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