Yellowmouth Barracuda - Sphyraena viridensis - Circling in a Silver Vortex

A large school of Yellowmouth Barracuda circles together above Cirkewwa Reef in Malta, forming a compact swirling mass in the blue Mediterranean water.

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 bluish-grey to greenish and becomes paler below, while numerous distinctive dark vertical bars mark 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 and coordinated manoeuvring. Yellowmouth Barracuda are pelagic predators feeding mainly on fishes, together with cephalopods and crustaceans. Although individuals may occur alone, adults can gather into very large schools around reefs, offshore structures and coastal drop-offs. The species occurs from the surface to around 100 metres depth and can reach approximately 128 centimetres in length. This photograph captures a large school turning together above Cirkewwa Reef in Malta, creating a compact circular formation that resembles a swirling silver vortex in the blue Mediterranean water.