Yellowmouth Barracuda - Sphyraena viridensis - Streamlined Profile in Open Water

A Yellowmouth Barracuda swims through the open blue water at Cirkewwa Reef, Malta, showing its slender body, pointed snout and distinctive dark vertical bars.

The Yellowmouth Barracuda (Sphyraena viridensis) has a long, slender and fusiform body with a hydrodynamic pointed snout, an elongated mouth and a projecting lower jaw armed with sharp canine-like teeth. Its upper body is generally bluish-grey to greenish and marked with numerous dark vertical bars, several of which extend below the lateral line on the forward part of the flanks. The two dorsal fins are widely separated, while the deeply forked tail is adapted for rapid bursts of speed in open water. Yellowmouth Barracuda are pelagic predators that feed mainly on fishes, together with cephalopods and crustaceans. They occur from the surface to around 100 metres depth and may be encountered alone or in groups around reefs, drop-offs and open coastal waters. The species can reach approximately 128 centimetres in length. This photograph captures a solitary individual in clear side profile while cruising through the open blue water at Cirkewwa Reef in Malta.