Obtuse barracuda (Sphyraena obtusata)

Scientific name: Sphyraena obtusata Cuvier, 1829

Obtuse barracuda (Sphyraena obtusata)

The Obtuse barracuda (Sphyraena obtusata) is a brackish-water fish of the family Sphyraenidae.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 6; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 9. Body elongate and subcylindrical with small cycloid scales; head long and pointed. Mouth large and horizontal, the tip of the lower jaw protruding; intermaxilla non-protractile. Preoperculum rectangular, with wide naked skin flap. First dorsal fin origin slightly before the pectoral fin tip, the first spine equal to the second. Pelvic fins well before the tip of the pectoral, closer to the anal than the tip of the lower jaw. Color is generally green above and silvery below.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Sphyraena obtusata
Family
Sphyraenidae (Barracudas)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
55.0
Common length
30.0
Depth range
20–120 m (66–394 ft)
Environment
Marine; brackish; reef-associated; depth range 20 - 120 m
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Indo-Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa to Samoa, north to the Ryukyu Islands, south to Lord Howe Island. Migrated to eastern Mediterranean from the Red Sea via the Suez Canal. The exact range is uncertain because of confusion of this species with Sphyraena flavicauda.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience
High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (K=0.5-0.9)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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