Sphyraenidae

views updated

Sphyraenidae (barracuda; subclass Actinopterygii, order Perciformes) A small family of marine fish that have a very elongate, slender body, a large mouth with strong teeth, and two widely separated dorsal fins. Barracudas have the reputation of being aggressive and dangerous fish. Although most species rarely exceed 60 cm in length, Sphyraena barracuda (giant barracuda) grows to 1.7 m. There are about 18 species, distributed widely in tropical to subtropical waters.