| Sphyraenidae (Barracudas) |
| 200 cm TL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 50 kg |
|
reef-associated; depth range 1 - 100 m |
| Indo-Pacific: Red Sea and east coast of Africa to Hawaii and the Marquesas 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). |
|
Dorsal spines (total): 6-6; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9-9; Anal spines: 1-1; Anal soft rays: 10-10. 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).
Description: Characterized further by silvery body color; dorsal and caudal fin lobes with large black patches; absence of gill rakers (rough platelets present on gill arches, without spinules); erect and contiguous teeth; emarginate caudal fin with two rounded lobes in middle of posterior margin; greatest depth of body 6.0-8.2 in SL (Ref. 90102). |
| 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). |
|
(Ref. 96402)
|
| traumatogenic |
|
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