Barracudas are intimidating in their appearance. They resemble pike and are aggressive hunters, preying on smaller fish. They kill their prey by tearing pieces out them. They also scavenge for food. Typically they will hunt in groups, called “batteries”.

Barracudas have long, sharp teeth and in that respect, they resemble piranhas. Their teeth are set deep into their jaw sockets and many barracuda species have an under-bite. Their coloring gives them good camouflage when they are hunting: from the top, they appear dark blue, or dark green, or grayish; from underneath, they are a silvery white color.

Hunting Methods

Barracudas are opportunistic hunters. They will scavenge for food when hungry, but will attack suitable prey when they swim within range. They attack with a great sudden burst of speed. For short distances, they can achieve speeds of 27 mph (43 km/h).

Barracuda often live near the muddy bottoms of bay areas and reefs. Visibility is poor, especially when sand has been disturbed. Divers are sometimes bitten by barracudas; it is presumed that the attacks occur due to bad visibility and incorrect prey identification by the barracudas.

Because things that sparkle and shine attract barracuda, it is a good idea to remove watches, rings and chains that might attract them. Spear fishing near barracudas is dangerous too, since they will attack the injured fish and the trapped spear can become a lethal hazard to the divers nearby.

Game Fishing

As game fish, barracudas are fairly popular, due to their size and aggressiveness. They are also prized as fish for eating. Typically, they are cooked in steak cuts. The larger species, such as the great Barracuda, have been the cause of ciguatera poisoning. This is due to the barracudas being at the top of the food chain, and consuming a large amount of infected herbivorous fish.

In Nigeria, they are often smoked and used in soups. The smoking process helps make the flesh firmer, so that it does not disintegrate in the soup.