Yellowmouth Barracuda - Sphyraena viridensis - Solitary Patrol around the Rożi

A solitary Yellowmouth Barracuda cruises through open blue water beside the Rożi wreck at Ċirkewwa, Malta.

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. 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. Yellowmouth Barracuda are pelagic predators feeding mainly on fishes, together with cephalopods and crustaceans. They may occur alone as well as gather in groups 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 solitary Yellowmouth Barracuda cruising through the open blue water beside the Rożi wreck at Ċirkewwa in Malta, with only part of the artificial reef visible below.