Yellowmouth Barracuda - Sphyraena viridensis - Streaming above Cirkewwa Reef

A large school of Yellowmouth Barracuda streams above Cirkewwa Reef in Malta, with close individuals revealing their distinctive striped flanks.

The Yellowmouth Barracuda (Sphyraena viridensis) has a long, slender and fusiform body with a pointed hydrodynamic snout, elongated mouth and projecting lower jaw armed with sharp canine-like teeth. The upper body is generally dark bluish-grey to greenish and becomes paler below, while numerous distinctive dark vertical bars cross the upper flanks and extend below the lateral line toward the front of the body. Its two dorsal fins are widely separated and the deeply forked tail provides powerful propulsion for rapid swimming. Yellowmouth Barracuda are pelagic predators that feed mainly on fishes, together with cephalopods and crustaceans. They may occur individually but frequently gather into coordinated schools around rocky reefs, drop-offs and open coastal waters. The species occurs from the surface to about 100 metres depth and can reach approximately 128 centimetres in length. This photograph captures a large school streaming above Cirkewwa Reef in Malta, with several barracudas passing close to the camera while many more extend into the surrounding blue water.