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Barracuda

April 03, 2023

For other uses, see Barracuda (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Barramunda.

A barracuda is a large, predatory, ray-finned fish known for its 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] Barracudas are targeted by sport-fishing enthusiasts.

Barracuda
Temporal range: 80.5–0 Ma Early Campanian to present[1]
Sphyraena barracuda in Saba, Netherlands Antilles
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Istiophoriformes
Family: Sphyraenidae
Rafinesque, 1815
Genus: Sphyraena
J. T. Klein, 1778
Type species
Esox sphyraena

Etymology

The common name "barracuda" is derived from Spanish, with the original word being of possibly Cariban origin.[4]

Description

 
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 nine 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 edge double-curved and is set at the end of a stout peduncle. The pectoral fins are placed low on the sides. The swim bladder is large, allowing for minimal energy expenditure while cruising or remaining idle.[5]

In most cases, barracuda are dark gray, dark green, white, or blue on the upper body, with silvery sides and a chalky-white belly. Coloration varies somewhat between species. For some species, irregular 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. Due to similarities, sometimes Barracuda is compared with freshwater Pike, though the major difference between the two is that Barracuda has two separate dorsal fins with a forked tail, unlike the freshwater pike.[6]

Some species grow quite large (up to 65 inches or 165 cm in length),[7] 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

The barracuda genus Sphyraena contains 29 species:[8]

Behavior and diet

Barracudas are ferocious, opportunistic predators, relying on surprise and short bursts of speed, up to 27 mph (43 km/h),[11] 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). Common prey fish include jacks, grunts, groupers, snappers, small tunas, mullets, killifishes, herrings, and anchovies; often by simply biting them in half.[12] They kill and consume larger prey by tearing chunks out of their prey. They also seem to consume smaller species of sustenance that are in front of them. Barracuda species are often seen competing against mackerel, needle fish and sometimes even dolphins for prey.[3]

Barracudas are usually found swimming in saltwater searching for schools of plankton-feeding fish. Their silver and elongated bodies make them difficult for prey to detect, and even more difficult to be seen when viewing them head-on. Barracudas depend heavily on their eyesight when they are out hunting. When hunting, they tend to notice everything that has an unusual color, reflection, or movement. Once a barracuda targets an intended prey item, its long tail and matching anal and dorsal fins enable it to move with swift bursts of speed to attack its prey before it can escape. Barracudas generally attack schools of fish, speeding at them head first and biting at them with their jaws. When barracudas age, they tend to swim alone. However, there are times where they tend to stay with the pack. Barracudas will sometimes swim in groups. In this case, they can relocate schools of fish into compact areas or lead them into shallow water to more easily feed on them.[citation needed]

Interactions with humans

Some species of barracuda are reputed to be dangerous to swimmers. Barracudas are scavengers, and may mistake snorkelers for large predators, following them hoping to eat the remains of their prey. Swimmers have reported being bitten by barracudas, 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.[13] One incident reported a barracuda jumping out of water and injuring a kayaker,[14] but Jason Schratwieser, conservation director of the International Game Fish Association, said that the wound could have been caused by a houndfish.[15]

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.[16] 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.[12]

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.

In popular culture

The "Blue Barracudas" were a team on the 90's Nickelodeon gameshow Legends of the Hidden Temple.

The barracuda prominently appeared in the 2003 Disney/Pixar animated film Finding Nemo, in the beginning of the film, when it attacks the clownfishes Marlin (Albert Brooks), Coral (Elizabeth Perkins), Nemo (Alexander Gould) and their eggs who lives in the sea anemone by the drop off in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Before the main titles in the film and in the 3D version release in 2012, the barracuda closes its teeth and the bottom lip is shown in the film. Nemo likely would not have survived into adulthood due to his small fin had the barracuda not eaten all other eggs. (The same barracuda also appeared as an easter egg in the 2019 Disney/Pixar animated film Toy Story 4. It was stuffed and mounted in display in the Second Chances antique store.)[citation needed]

"Barracuda" is the title of a 1977 hit song by American rock band Heart blasting Mushroom Records for a damaging publicity stunt.[17]

The Pokémon Arrokuda and its evolution Barraskewda (both introduced to the franchise in Pokémon Sword and Shield) are based on the barracuda.

The Plymouth Barracuda is a two-door pony car that was manufactured by Plymouth from 1964 to 1974.

Gallery

  •  

    Scuba diver swimming inside a group of Sphyraena putnamae off Ko Tao, Thailand

  •  

    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

  •  

    Woman carrying a barracuda in Madagascar

References

  1. ^ Sepkoski, J. (2002). . 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. ^ a b Millburn, N. . Animals - PawNation. Archived from the original on 2013-12-03.
  4. ^ "barracuda | Origin and meaning of barracuda by Online Etymology Dictionary". www.etymonline.com. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
  5. ^ "Barracuda | fish". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2019-05-03.
  6. ^ Davis, Buddy; Davis, Kay (2006). Sensational Sea Creatures. New Leaf Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-89051-458-0.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2021). Species of Sphyraena in FishBase. August 2021 version.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ 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. S2CID 83523327.
  11. ^ Martin, R.A. "What's the Speediest Marine Creature?". ReefQuest Centre for Shark Research.
  12. ^ a b "Barracuda Fish Facts". AtlanticPanic.
  13. ^ Bester, C. . Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department. Archived from the original on 2016-01-26. Retrieved 2009-08-28.
  14. ^ Fletcher, p. (2010). Marshall, J. (ed.). "Jumping barracuda injures kayaker off Florida Keys". Reuters.
  15. ^ Fleshler, D.; Ortega, J. (2010). "Leaping fish punctures lung of woman kayaking in Keys". Sun Sentinel.
  16. ^ . Regulatory Fish Encyclopedia (RFE). U.S. Food & Drug Administration. 2002. Archived from the original on 2003-02-26.
  17. ^ Rath, Zoë (2016). "Hit Songs Deconstructed". Notes. 73 (2): 327–330. doi:10.1353/not.2016.0142. ISSN 1534-150X. S2CID 191805608.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sphyraena.
  • Ichthyological Bulletin; No. 3: The fishes of the Family Sphyraenidae in the Western Indian Ocean

April 03, 2023
barracuda, other, uses, disambiguation, confused, with, barramunda, barracuda, large, predatory, finned, fish, known, fearsome, appearance, ferocious, behaviour, barracuda, saltwater, fish, genus, sphyraena, only, genus, family, sphyraenidae, which, named, con. For other uses see Barracuda disambiguation Not to be confused with Barramunda A barracuda is a large predatory ray finned fish known for its 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 Barracudas are targeted by sport fishing enthusiasts BarracudaTemporal range 80 5 0 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Early Campanian to present 1 Sphyraena barracuda in Saba Netherlands AntillesScientific classificationKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass ActinopterygiiOrder IstiophoriformesFamily SphyraenidaeRafinesque 1815Genus SphyraenaJ T Klein 1778Type speciesEsox sphyraenaLinnaeus 1758 Contents 1 Etymology 2 Description 3 Species 4 Behavior and diet 4 1 Interactions with humans 5 As food 6 In popular culture 7 Gallery 8 References 9 External linksEtymology EditThe common name barracuda is derived from Spanish with the original word being of possibly Cariban origin 4 Description Edit 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 nine 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 edge double curved and is set at the end of a stout peduncle The pectoral fins are placed low on the sides The swim bladder is large allowing for minimal energy expenditure while cruising or remaining idle 5 In most cases barracuda are dark gray dark green white or blue on the upper body with silvery sides and a chalky white belly Coloration varies somewhat between species For some species irregular 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 Due to similarities sometimes Barracuda is compared with freshwater Pike though the major difference between the two is that Barracuda has two separate dorsal fins with a forked tail unlike the freshwater pike 6 Some species grow quite large up to 65 inches or 165 cm in length 7 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 EditThe barracuda genus Sphyraena contains 29 species 8 Sphyraena acutipinnis F Day 1876 Sharpfin barracuda Sphyraena afra W K H Peters 1844 Guinean barracuda Sphyraena arabiansis E M Abdussamad Ratheesh Thangaraja Bineesh amp D Prakashan 2015 Arabian barracuda 9 Sphyraena argentea Girard 1854 Pacific barracuda Sphyraena barracuda G Edwards 1771 Great barracuda Sphyraena borealis DeKay 1842 Northern sennet Sphyraena chrysotaenia Klunzinger 1884 Yellowstripe barracuda Sphyraena ensis D S Jordan amp C H Gilbert 1882 Mexican barracuda Sphyraena flavicauda Ruppell 1838 Yellowtail barracuda Sphyraena forsteri G Cuvier 1829 Bigeye barracuda Sphyraena guachancho G Cuvier 1829 Guachanche barracuda Sphyraena helleri O T Jenkins 1901 Heller s barracuda Sphyraena iburiensis Doiuchi amp Nakabo 2005 Sphyraena idiastes Heller amp Snodgrass 1903 Pelican barracuda Sphyraena intermedia Pastore 2009 10 Sphyraena japonica Bloch amp J G Schneider 1801 Japanese barracuda Sphyraena jello G Cuvier 1829 Pickhandle barracuda Sphyraena lucasana T N Gill 1863 Lucas barracuda Sphyraena novaehollandiae Gunther 1860 Australian barracuda Sphyraena obtusata G Cuvier 1829 Obtuse barracuda Sphyraena picudilla Poey 1860 Southern sennet Sphyraena pinguis Gunther 1874 Red barracuda Sphyraena putnamae D S Jordan amp Seale 1905 Sawtooth barracuda Sphyraena qenie Klunzinger 1870 Blackfin barracuda Sphyraena sphyraena Linnaeus 1758 European barracuda Sphyraena tome Fowler 1903 Sphyraena viridensis G Cuvier 1829 Yellowmouth barracuda Sphyraena waitii W Ogilby 1908Behavior and diet EditBarracudas are ferocious opportunistic predators relying on surprise and short bursts of speed up to 27 mph 43 km h 11 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 Common prey fish include jacks grunts groupers snappers small tunas mullets killifishes herrings and anchovies often by simply biting them in half 12 They kill and consume larger prey by tearing chunks out of their prey They also seem to consume smaller species of sustenance that are in front of them Barracuda species are often seen competing against mackerel needle fish and sometimes even dolphins for prey 3 Barracudas are usually found swimming in saltwater searching for schools of plankton feeding fish Their silver and elongated bodies make them difficult for prey to detect and even more difficult to be seen when viewing them head on Barracudas depend heavily on their eyesight when they are out hunting When hunting they tend to notice everything that has an unusual color reflection or movement Once a barracuda targets an intended prey item its long tail and matching anal and dorsal fins enable it to move with swift bursts of speed to attack its prey before it can escape Barracudas generally attack schools of fish speeding at them head first and biting at them with their jaws When barracudas age they tend to swim alone However there are times where they tend to stay with the pack Barracudas will sometimes swim in groups In this case they can relocate schools of fish into compact areas or lead them into shallow water to more easily feed on them citation needed Interactions with humans Edit Some species of barracuda are reputed to be dangerous to swimmers Barracudas are scavengers and may mistake snorkelers for large predators following them hoping to eat the remains of their prey Swimmers have reported being bitten by barracudas 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 13 One incident reported a barracuda jumping out of water and injuring a kayaker 14 but Jason Schratwieser conservation director of the International Game Fish Association said that the wound could have been caused by a houndfish 15 As food EditBarracudas 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 16 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 12 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 In popular culture EditThe Blue Barracudas were a team on the 90 s Nickelodeon gameshow Legends of the Hidden Temple The barracuda prominently appeared in the 2003 Disney Pixar animated film Finding Nemo in the beginning of the film when it attacks the clownfishes Marlin Albert Brooks Coral Elizabeth Perkins Nemo Alexander Gould and their eggs who lives in the sea anemone by the drop off in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia Before the main titles in the film and in the 3D version release in 2012 the barracuda closes its teeth and the bottom lip is shown in the film Nemo likely would not have survived into adulthood due to his small fin had the barracuda not eaten all other eggs The same barracuda also appeared as an easter egg in the 2019 Disney Pixar animated film Toy Story 4 It was stuffed and mounted in display in the Second Chances antique store citation needed Barracuda is the title of a 1977 hit song by American rock band Heart blasting Mushroom Records for a damaging publicity stunt 17 The Pokemon Arrokuda and its evolution Barraskewda both introduced to the franchise in Pokemon Sword and Shield are based on the barracuda The Plymouth Barracuda is a two door pony car that was manufactured by Plymouth from 1964 to 1974 Gallery Edit Scuba diver swimming inside a group of Sphyraena putnamae off Ko Tao Thailand 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 Woman carrying a barracuda in MadagascarReferences Edit 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 N Bailly 2015 Sphyraenidae Rafinesque 1815 World Register of Marine Species Retrieved 6 April 2017 a b Millburn N The Great Barracuda s Diet Animals PawNation Archived from the original on 2013 12 03 barracuda Origin and meaning of barracuda by Online Etymology Dictionary www etymonline com Retrieved 2021 06 05 Barracuda fish Encyclopedia Britannica Retrieved 2019 05 03 Davis Buddy Davis Kay 2006 Sensational Sea Creatures New Leaf Publishing Group ISBN 978 0 89051 458 0 Fischer W 1987 Guide Fao d Identification des Especes pour les Besoins de la Peche Volume 2 Vertebres Rome Laboratoire d Ichtyologie generale et appliquee Museum national d Histoire naturelle pp ftp ftp fao org docrep fao 009 x0170f x0170f82 pdf Froese Rainer and Pauly Daniel eds 2021 Species of Sphyraena in FishBase August 2021 version 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 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 S2CID 83523327 Martin R A What s the Speediest Marine Creature ReefQuest Centre for Shark Research a b Barracuda Fish Facts AtlanticPanic Bester C Great barracuda Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department Archived from the original on 2016 01 26 Retrieved 2009 08 28 Fletcher p 2010 Marshall J ed Jumping barracuda injures kayaker off Florida Keys Reuters Fleshler D Ortega J 2010 Leaping fish punctures lung of woman kayaking in Keys Sun Sentinel Hazard Market Geographic and Nomenclature Information for Great Barracuda Regulatory Fish Encyclopedia RFE U S Food amp Drug Administration 2002 Archived from the original on 2003 02 26 Rath Zoe 2016 Hit Songs Deconstructed Notes 73 2 327 330 doi 10 1353 not 2016 0142 ISSN 1534 150X S2CID 191805608 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sphyraena Ichthyological Bulletin No 3 The fishes of the Family Sphyraenidae in the Western Indian Ocean Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Barracuda amp oldid 1143287961, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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