Yellowmouth Barracuda - Sphyraena viridensis - Crossing Paths in Open Water

Several Yellowmouth Barracuda cross paths in the open blue water at Cirkewwa Reef, Malta, creating a striking arrangement of streamlined silhouettes.

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. Its 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. The two dorsal fins are widely separated and the deeply forked tail provides powerful propulsion for rapid swimming through open water. Yellowmouth Barracuda are pelagic predators feeding mainly on fishes, together with cephalopods and crustaceans. They may occur individually, in small groups or gather into much larger schools around reefs, drop-offs and coastal waters. The species occurs from the surface to about 100 metres depth and can reach approximately 128 centimetres in length. This photograph captures several Yellowmouth Barracuda crossing one another at different angles in the open blue water at Cirkewwa Reef in Malta, creating an unusual composition that highlights their long, streamlined form.