Barracuda (sphyranea sphyranea)
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Common name Barracuda
Scientific name Sphyranea sphyranea
Class Osteichthyes
Order Perciformes
Family Sfirenidi
Distribution The Mediterranean, the Black Sea and the eastern Atlantic Ocean from the Gascony Gulf to Angola.
Habitat sandy seabeds close to the coast , from a few metres beneath the surface up to depths of 100m.
Dimensions Grows to a length of up to 165 cm.
Characteristicts A very long body; long pointed nose; large mouth with a good number of sharp teeth; two widely separated dorsal fins.

Description
Barracudas have long cylindrical bodies with a silvery blue/green coloration on the back and silvery white on the abdomen. They have a large head and a prominent jaw with a sharp set of teeth, which are also on the palate. The two dorsal fins are widely separated and the tail fin is forked. They also have between 20 - 22 dark transversal bands on the sides of the dorsal and the fins are blackish.

Biology
Though normally associated with tropical seas, the presence of this species along the Mediterranean coastline is not unusual. Reproduction takes place and planktonic eggs are laid at the end of the spring and in summer. Barracudas feed on fish, squids and crustaceans.