(Walbaum, 1792); SPHYRAENIDAE FAMILY; also
called cuda, sea pike, giant sea pike
Occurs in all tropical seas except the East
Pacific. Found offshore and inshore around
reefs, piers, wrecks, sandy and grassy
flats, and wherever smaller fish congregate.
Smaller barracudas sometimes school, but the
large ones are almost invariably loners.
The first dorsal fin has 5 spines; the
second, 10 soft rays. The first rays of the
second dorsal and anal fins reach to or
beyond the tips of the last rays when the
fins are depressed. There are 75 90 scales
along the lateral line. The preopercle is
rounded. The maxilla extends back as far as
the eyes. The adult great barracuda has
irregular black blotches on the lower
flanks, especially near the tail. It is the
only species of barracuda that has blotches.
The barracuda eats whatever is available.
Its habit of “tagging along” with divers
while opening and closing its mouth has
given more than one diver the faith to walk
on water; nevertheless, barracudas do not
usually attack unless speared or provoked.
The barracuda should be regarded as
dangerous because of its ability to inflict
serious injury, in or out of water.
Fishing methods include trolling with plugs,
spoons, and prepared baits; live bait
fishing with small fishes; casting and
retrieving live and strip baits as well as
plugs and spoons. The cast should not land
too near the barracuda, but should be
retrieved past it at a fast, erratic speed.
The great barracuda leads a list of tropical
marine fishes suspected of causing ciguatera
poisoning when eaten. The poison is caused
by a microscopic plant (a dinoflagellate
organism) eaten by smaller fishes and passed
on in the food chain. The toxin can only be
detected in laboratory tests.
