Yellowmouth Barracuda - Sphyraena viridensis - Weaving across the Um El Faroud Deck

A school of Yellowmouth Barracuda crosses the deck structure of the Um El Faroud wreck in Malta, weaving between railings and marine-covered remains.

The Yellowmouth Barracuda (Sphyraena viridensis) has a long, slender and fusiform body with a pointed hydrodynamic snout, elongated jaws and a projecting lower jaw armed with sharp canine-like teeth. Its upper body is generally bluish-grey to greenish and becomes paler below, while numerous dark vertical bars mark the upper flanks and extend below the lateral line on the forward part of the body. The two dorsal fins are widely separated and the strongly forked tail provides powerful propulsion for rapid swimming in open water. Yellowmouth Barracuda are pelagic predators feeding mainly on fishes, together with cephalopods and crustaceans. They may occur individually but frequently form schools around rocky reefs, drop-offs and underwater structures. The species occurs from the surface to around 100 metres depth and can reach approximately 128 centimetres in length. This photograph captures a school crossing the deck area of the Um El Faroud wreck in Malta, with the barracudas weaving between the encrusted railings and other remains of the artificial reef.