Yellowmouth Barracuda - Sphyraena viridensis - Sweeping over the Rożi Wreck

Yellowmouth Barracuda sweep above the Rożi wreck at Ċirkewwa, Malta, their striped bodies passing over the marine-covered remains of the tugboat.

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 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 movement through open water. Yellowmouth Barracuda are pelagic predators that feed mainly on fishes, together with cephalopods and crustaceans. They may occur individually or gather into coordinated schools around reefs, 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 group of Yellowmouth Barracuda sweeping above the Rożi wreck at Ċirkewwa in Malta, where the former tugboat has developed into an artificial reef supporting a rich community of Mediterranean marine life.