Species Fact Profile: Great Barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda)

Great Barracuda

Sphyraena barracuda (Edwards in Catesby, 1771)

Range: Tropical and Subtropical Oceans Worldwide (Absent from Eastern Pacific Ocean)
Habitat: Coral Reefs, Mangroves, Coastal Waters
Diet: Fish, Cephalopods, Crustaceans
Social Grouping: Solitary, Small Aggregations, Very Rarely Large Schools
Reproduction: Reproductive season may vary across range.  Males sexually mature at 2 years, females at 4 years.  Eggs fertilized in open water to disperse on currents.  Larvae settle into shallow waters, move into deeper waters at 1-2 years old as they approach adulthood
Lifespan: 10-15 Years
Conservation Status: IUCN Least Concern

• Up to 1.5 meters in length, weigh up to 44 kilograms.  Long, tubular body (rounded in the midsection) with small fins, set back towards the tail. Head is flattened with two rows of sharp teeth; pronounced underbite
• Dark bluish-gray on the back, fading with silver or white on the stomach, often with some dark spotting or barring on the sides
• Ambush predators, hunt during the day largely by sight.  Capable of swimming at speeds of nearly 60 kilometers per hour, but not very maneuverable 
• Few predators as adults, though small adults may be taken by sharks, tuna, and goliath groupers.  Larvae have many predators
• Have been reported to herd schools of fish into shallow water and "guard" them there until they are hungry enough to feed
• Not particularly sought after as a food fish, but may be fished for sport.  May pose a danger to eat due to bioaccumulation of toxins, due to their location at the top of the food chain
• Known to occasionally attack humans, presumably when attracted to shiny objects in the water (such as jewelry) for the scales of a fish, or when trying to rob a spear-fisher.  Human fatalities are very rare, but have been documented