Yellowmouth Barracuda - Sphyraena viridensis - Schooling above the Um El Faroud Wreck

A school of Yellowmouth Barracuda glides above the MV Um El Faroud wreck in Malta, their long striped bodies forming an impressive formation around the artificial reef.

The Yellowmouth Barracuda (Sphyraena viridensis) has a long, slender and streamlined body with a pointed snout, an elongated mouth, a projecting lower jaw and rows of sharp canine-like teeth. The body is generally dark bluish-grey to greenish above and silvery below, with numerous distinctive dark vertical bars across the upper body that extend below the lateral line, particularly toward the front of the flanks. Two widely separated dorsal fins and a strongly forked tail contribute to its efficient, fast-swimming form. Yellowmouth Barracuda inhabit coastal and offshore waters and feed mainly on fishes, together with cephalopods and crustaceans. They may gather in impressive schools around reefs, drop-offs and underwater structures and can reach approximately 128 centimetres in length. This photograph captures a school moving through the blue water above the MV Um El Faroud wreck in Malta, where the scuttled tanker has developed into a thriving artificial reef.