Barracuda

For other uses, see Barracuda (disambiguation).

Barracuda
Temporal range: Early Eocene to present[1]
Great barracuda hovering in the current at the Paradise Reef, Cozumel, Mexico
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Carangiformes
Suborder: Centropomoidei
Family: Sphyraenidae
Rafinesque, 1815
Genus: Sphyraena
J. T. Klein, 1778
Type species
Esox spet
Synonyms
  • Sphyrena Artedi, 1793 (Missp.)
  • Acus Plumier in Lacépède, 1803 (Unav.)
  • Sphyroena Duméril, 1805 (Missp.)
  • Sphaerina Swainson, 1839 (Missp.)
  • Sphraena De Kay, 1842 (Missp.)
  • Agrioposphyraena Fowler, 1903
  • Australuzza Whitley, 1947
  • Callosphyraena Smith, 1956
  • Indosphyraena Smith, 1956
  • Sphyraenella Smith, 1956

A barracuda is a large, predatory, ray-finned fish known for its fearsome appearance and ferocious behaviour. The barracuda is a saltwater fish of the genus Sphyraena, the only genus in the family Sphyraenidae, which was named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque in 1815.[2] It is found in tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide ranging from the eastern border of the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, on its western border the Caribbean Sea, and in tropical areas of the Pacific Ocean. Barracudas reside near the top of the water and near coral reefs and sea grasses.[3] Barracudas are targeted by sport-fishing enthusiasts.

  1. ^ Sepkoski, J. (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera". Bulletins of American Paleontology. 363: 1–560. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23.
  2. ^ N. Bailly (2015). "Sphyraenidae Rafinesque, 1810". World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  3. ^ Millburn, N. "The Great Barracuda's Diet". Animals - PawNation. Archived from the original on 2013-12-03.