Barracuda Family – Sphyraenidae

There are currently SEVEN members of the Barracuda or Sphyraenidae Family, three from the Atlantic and four from the Pacific,  presented in this website:

FROM THE ATLANTIC (3):

FROM THE PACIFIC (4):

The fish of the Barracuda or Sphyraenidae Family are known in Mexican fishing waters as barracuda. There are twenty-six species that have been placed in one genus, of which eight are found in Mexican waters, three in the Atlantic and five in the Pacific Ocean.

The Barracuda have very elongated, cylindrical bodies, a long head, a pointed snout, and a protruding lower jaw with a large mouth equipped with remarkably long and large pointed teeth. Barracudas are silver in color, with dark bands (saddles or chevron markings) that are generally above the dark and highly visible straight lateral line. They have small anal, pectoral, and pelvic fins. Their caudal fin is deeply forked; their two dorsal fins are well separated and the first has 5 spines; and, their pelvic fins are well aft of their pectoral fins. Keys to differentiate the eight Barracudas that inhabit Mexican oceanic waters include tail color, pectoral fin ray counts, and the location of the pectoral fin in relation to the dorsal and pelvic fins.

Barracudas are a global species that reside in all tropical warm waters. Barracuda are normally found in small to medium-sized schools in the vicinity of reefs. They feed on small fish. Although “slimy” to the touch and thus shunned by many anglers, barracudas are suitable for human consumption. Large Barracudas should be avoided for human consumption due to the possible presence of ciguatoxin.