Temporal range: Early Eocene to Present |Great barracuda and
jacks, Saba, Netherlands Antilles| The barracuda is a ray-finned
fish known for its large size and fearsome appearance. Its body
is long, fairly compressed, and covered with small, smooth
scales. Some species can reach up to 2.1 m (6.9 ft) in length
and 30 cm (12 in) in width. The barracuda is a saltwater fish of
the genus Sphyraena, the only genus in the family Sphyraenidae,
and is found in tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide.
Appearance and physical description  Barracudas are elongated
fish, pike-like in appearance, with prominent, sharp-edged,
fang-like teeth, much like piranhas, all of different sizes, set
in sockets of their large jaws. They have large, pointed heads
with an underbite in many species. Their gill covers have no
spines and are covered with small scales. Their two dorsal fins
are widely separated, with the anterior fin having five spines,
and the posterior fin having one spine and 9 soft rays. The
posterior dorsal fin is si