Barracuda - biology.

Barracuda - biology. Barracuda, any of 18 species of long, slender, predaceous marine fish with small scales, a large mouth with fanglike teeth, and a protruding lower jaw. The tail fin is forked, and the two dorsal fins are widely separated. Barracuda are found in tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans. Smaller species swim in schools, but larger species are solitary. The northern sennet, which ranges from Bermuda to the Gulf of Mexico, is 46 cm (18 in) long. The great barracuda, found on both sides of the Atlantic in tropical waters and in the western Pacific, is 1.8 m (6 ft) long. The California barracuda, which is valued as a food fish, winters off Mexico. But when spawning season begins in April, the fish moves north into more temperate waters, where the larvae feed on plankton. Although barracuda attacks on humans are rare, they are feared by swimmers in some places. Scientific classification: Barracudas make up the family Sphyraenidae. They are classified in the genus Sphyraena. The northern sennet is classified as Sphyraena borealis, the great barracuda as Sphyraena barracuda, and the California barracuda as Sphyraena argentea. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.