Scientific name:
Sphyraenidae

Natural spread:
northwest-Atlantic, Japan

the Barrakudas or arrow-pikes is arrow-fast hunters; slim, with zugespitzem head, that runs out into a long, far split mouth, they remind of arrows also in the look. The mouth impresses not only through its size but also through the teeth standing in it: Some are virtually dagger-good. Barrakudazähne are not equally big but, above all in the prominent lower jaw, a number of notably big fangs is found. With the loot-catch, the arrow-pikes push aimed only once to - can observe exactly it the victim with its big eyes previously and can fix.

All Barrakudas (there are 18 types, that consider all one of the same type) have two far apart-standing back-fins and a bifurcate tail fluke. The two smallest types, the northern Barrakuda (Sphyraena borealis) from the northwest-Atlantic and the Japanische Barrakuda (S). japonica, from Japan, become exactly 30 cm long, the biggest types approximately 3 m.

Way of life Most Barrakudas are typical inhabitants of warm Meereszonen, some hike into more restrained areas regularly if the sun heated up the surface-near water in the summer. they usually don't spawn in these regions. Barrakudas usually are in coast-proximity, they are frequent to find in the big bays, some are inhabitants of coral-reefs. Above all the younger animals join together to swarms while older Barrakudas also than loners are alive.

Behavior From it to 3 m, Australian striped Barrakuda (Sphyraena obtusata) reach been reported that itself the big ones, as viciously respectable loners like to look for a prominent, elevated place on a rock or the edge of a coral-reef as "commander-hills" and stay, that allow a good view all around and serve as starting point for the hunt. By this place, all invaders, even big sharks, are driven away. The aggressiveness of the Barrakudas is feared also by bathers and divers; it is assumed that many so-called "shark-attacks", of which is reported, come from from Barrakudas in truth. For such attacks, Z comes. B. also the Atlantic Barrakuda (Sphyraena barracuda) in consideration, that lives in the tropical Atlantic, on average over 2 m big becomes, but also the Mittelmeer-Barrakuda (S). sphyraena, from the Mediterranean, the black sea and from the Atlantic East coast, where it goes as far as to the Biskaya in the north. This type becomes 1 m long.

Putzerfishes Certain Lippfishes, that venture forward as "Putzerfishes" until Barrakudas coral-reef-living in into the mouth, are not afraid of Barrakuda-Angriffen to clean therefore as living toothbrushes. they emerge again safely from the "cave of the lion" also always.

Economic meaning The biggest enemy of the Barrakudas is the human being decidedly. its solid, white meat tastes good very well and therefore is very sought-after. The economically most important arrow-pike is the Californian or Pacific Barrakuda (Sphyraena argentea), that becomes approximately 1,20 m long. These fish occur from Alaska in the north until low-California in the south. Before California and Mexico, they are caught in large quantities. It is an extremely swarm-forming type. The females grow faster and become bigger than the males. Most Californian Barrakudas become sexually mature with 2 years, the females spawn 40 000-50 000 eggs according to old and size in the course of a season from. The young fish are after one year 35 cm long, after 4-5 years 70 cm. Californian Barrakudas are sold mainly as fresh-fish, they are also smoked gladly eaten, however. Beside its economic meaning, they play also a role in the sport-fishery. they are regarded as aggressive fish with the anglers.