Yellowmouth Barracuda - Sphyraena viridensis - Patrol above the Rożi Wheelhouse

Yellowmouth Barracuda pass above the wheelhouse of the Rożi wreck at Ċirkewwa, Malta, their striped bodies contrasting with the weathered structure below.

The Yellowmouth Barracuda (Sphyraena viridensis) has a long, slender and fusiform body with a conical, hydrodynamic snout, elongated mouth and projecting lower jaw armed with sharp canine-like teeth. The 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. Its 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 that feed mainly on fishes, together with cephalopods and crustaceans. They may occur alone or gather in 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 several Yellowmouth Barracuda passing directly above the wheelhouse of the Rożi wreck at Ċirkewwa in Malta, where the former tugboat has become an established artificial reef supporting abundant marine life.