Yellowmouth Barracuda - Sphyraena viridensis - Approaching over the Rożi Wreck

A solitary Yellowmouth Barracuda approaches the camera above the Rożi wreck at Ċirkewwa, Malta, surrounded by smaller reef fish.

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 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 groups around reefs, drop-offs and underwater structures. The species occurs from the surface to around 100 metres depth and can reach approximately 128 centimetres in length. This photograph captures a solitary Yellowmouth Barracuda approaching the camera above the Rożi wreck at Ċirkewwa in Malta, with smaller reef fish scattered around the artificial reef below.