Appearance
- Gray with a greenish color on the back, shading to a lighter belly
- Mouth with prominent, sharp teeth; lower jaw protrudes past upper jaw
- Black blotches on lower sides
- Diagonal dark bars on upper sides (not always evident)
- Tail color is dark with white tips
- Young have dark stripe on side that breaks into dark blotches with age
Size: Up to 106 pounds
Habitat
Range inshore to offshore. Young found inshore in seagrass beds.
Behavior
Top predator in reef areas, consuming fishes, squid and shrimp.
Additional Information
Consuming larger barracuda may cause ciguatera poisoning.
Image Credit: © Diane Rome Peebles