Yellowmouth Barracuda - Sphyraena viridensis - Cruising alongside the Um El Faroud

Yellowmouth Barracuda cruise alongside the wreck of the Um El Faroud in Malta, their striped bodies standing out against the blue water and wreck structure.

The Yellowmouth Barracuda (Sphyraena viridensis) has a long, slender and streamlined body with a pointed head, elongated jaws and a prominent lower jaw armed with sharp canine-like teeth. Its upper body is generally dark bluish-grey to greenish, becoming lighter below, while numerous conspicuous dark vertical bars extend across the flanks and below the lateral line, particularly on the forward part of the body. The two dorsal fins are widely separated and the strongly forked caudal fin provides the powerful propulsion typical of these fast pelagic predators. Yellowmouth Barracuda feed primarily on fishes, together with cephalopods and crustaceans, and may occur individually or gather in impressive schools around reefs, drop-offs and underwater structures. The species occurs naturally in the Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic and has now been conclusively confirmed from Maltese waters. This photograph shows several Yellowmouth Barracuda cruising through the blue water alongside the wreck of the Um El Faroud in Malta, surrounded by the abundant marine life attracted to this artificial reef.