Barracuda (Sphyraena   barracuda)                                                      back     home

Barracuda is the name of a family of marine fish with long, slender bodies with minute scales, forked tail fins and a long snout with the lower jaw longer than the top and edged with large, sharp teeth. They feed mainly on other fish, they will strike at anything that gleams and sometimes attack people.

The barracuda tends to be a more Southern fish often caught around the Otago coasts, though they are caught in the Northern areas also.

There are 20 species of barracudas worldwide. It can grow to about 6 feet (1.8 meters) and 100 pounds (45 kilograms). The great barracuda is called the "tiger of the sea" because it is swift and destructive.

The Pacific barracuda may grow to a length of 4 feet (1.2 meters). It is found around the coast of New Zealand.

They have a long low spiny dorsal fin along the length of the back, and they also sport slightly longer finlets between the caudal and anal fins. The lateral line is high up on the body of this fish and is found just below the long dorsal fin on it's back. The tail fin is very deeply forked.

When young, great barracudas usually live close to shore. They may form schools of up to several thousand. Adults are often found near reefs or artificial structures, such as oil rigs or sunken ships. However when full grown they are generally solitary.