The Barracuda

The barracudas are to be classed among the carnivorous sea giants (about 2m). The fishes have the particularity of possessing a long body, large lower jaws and impressive sharp fang-shaped teeth. They are to be found in the tropical and subtropical seas.

They are edible fish but their body secretes a toxin called ciguatera which may prove dangerous to man. The barracudas are usually solitary fishes (the adults) but you may find them moving about in shoal (especially the younger ones).

The reefs are their favorite habitat but they can be found in big seas. As absolute predators with a sharp instinct, they often quench their voracity by surprising their victims with lightning attacks.

Their sharp eyes allow them to attack other fishes and crustaceans in shallow waters.

They fear nothing, except the sharks and ... man, whom they rarely attack; perhaps because he is not to their taste!!!

The way they reproduce is not well-known. The females are oviparous; they lay pelagic eggs. But no one knows for certain their biological cycle, neither the way of life of the younger ones except that they live in shoal. They spawn in the warm waters of the open seas: the females pour out their eggs directly in the water. The larvae grow in the plankton which serve as food for them.

The barracudas are most appreciated in the Comoros islands. They are an essential source of proteins ...