SPHYRAENIDAE Barracudas By Keiichi Matsuura and Seishi Kimura Sphyraena barracuda Sphyraena obtusata Sphyraena putnamae Body elongate, slightly compressed, reaching to 170 cm. Head long; snout pointed. Mouth horizontal, large; lower jaw projecting; large, sharp flattened or conical teeth on jaws; usually 1 or 2 canine teeth on tip of lower jaw. Gill rakers, if present, as short spinules, 1 or 2 at angle of gill arch. Two short dorsal fins, widely separated; the first with IV spines located above or slightly behind pelvic fins; the second with I spine and 9 soft rays. Anal fin with II spins and 7-9 soft rays. Caudal fin deeply forked. Color: gray to blue, or light brown dorsally, with silvery reflections, paler or white ventrally. Similar families occurring in the area. having 2 separate dorsal fins and silver body, but having a short snout and small mouth without canine teeth. Remarks. Carnivorous pike-like, pelagic to demersal fishes in tropical and temperate seas. Most of members of the Sphyraenidae found in coastal areas but also in the surface of open seas or down to depths of 100 m. Caught by handlines, gill nets, set nets or trawls. Marketed fresh, also dried-salted.