Yellowmouth Barracuda - Sphyraena viridensis - Passing through the Um El Faroud Wreck

A school of Yellowmouth Barracuda passes through the encrusted structure of the Um El Faroud wreck in Malta, surrounded by smaller reef fish.

The Yellowmouth Barracuda (Sphyraena viridensis) has a long, slender and streamlined body with a pointed hydrodynamic snout, elongated jaws and a prominent lower jaw armed with sharp canine-like teeth. Its upper body is generally bluish-grey to greenish and carries 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 strongly forked tail provides powerful propulsion for rapid movement through open water. Yellowmouth Barracuda are pelagic predators feeding mainly on fishes, together with cephalopods and crustaceans. They may occur individually or form large schools around rocky reefs, steep drop-offs and underwater structures. The species occurs from the surface to about 100 metres depth and can reach approximately 128 centimetres in length. This photograph captures a school passing behind and between the marine-growth-covered railings of the Um El Faroud wreck in Malta, illustrating how the artificial reef attracts both pelagic predators and smaller reef fish.