Sennet, Sphyraena borealis

Sennet, Sphyraena borealis, Juvenile Fish caught from coastal waters off Long Island, New York, August 2022. Length: 15 cm (5.9 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of James Lafontaine, Long Island, New York.

The Sennet, Sphyraena borealis, is the smallest member of the Barracuda or Sphyraenidae Family, that is also known as the Northern Barracuda and the Sennet Barracuda and in Mexico as picudilla. Globally, there are twenty-six species in the genus Sphyraena, of which eight are found in Mexican waters, three in the Atlantic and five in the Pacific Ocean.

The Sennet has an overall barracuda-like appearance, with an elongated slender body that is cylindrical at the front. They are silvery with dark bars or blotches and most have two yellowish stripes along the body. The juveniles have a series of dark elongated blotches along the sides and yellowish fins. They have a long head with a long, pointed snout and a large protractile distinctly protruding lower jaw, that is equipped with large fang like canine teeth, that does not reaches the eyes. Their small anal fin has 2 spines and 8 elongated rays; their caudal fin is forked and without a central lobe; their first dorsal fin has 5 spines; their second dorsal fin has 1 spine and 8 to 10 rays and is widely separated from the first and very similar to the anal fin; their pectoral fins are small and do not reach the pelvic fin base and fall short of the of the first dorsal fin origin; and, their small pelvic fins have 1 spine and 5 rays and are inserted directly under the first dorsal fin origin. They have 1 or 2 short gill rakers. They are covered with small scales and have a well-developed lateral line.

The Sennet is a schooling species that is found near shore over soft substrate that also associate with reefs at depths up to 65 m (165 feet). They reach a maximum of 50 cm (20 inches) in length and are less than 1.0 kg (1 lb 3 oz) in weight. They prey upon small fish, shrimps, and squid. Reproduction involves external fertilization and the release of pelagic eggs. The Sennet is poorly studied with very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns including specific details on age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, diet, habitat use, and reproduction.

The Sennet is a resident of all Mexican waters of the Atlantic Ocean including the Gulf of Mexico and the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Caribbean.

The Sennet can be confused with the Great Barracuda, Sphyraena barracuda (pelvic fins in front of first dorsal fin; pectoral fins reach beyond pelvic fins, 20 dark oblique bars and scattered black blotches on the sides) and the Guaguanche, Sphyraena guachancho (pelvic fins in front of first dorsal fin; pectoral fins reach beyond pelvic fins; anal, caudal, and pelvic fins with black margins).

From a conservation perspective the Sennet is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. They are a minor commercial species and caught with trammel nets and bottom trawls and via hook and line. They are also caught as a bycatch of the tuna fishery. They are sold fresh, salted and smoked. They are also pursued by recreational anglers as a game fish.