Yellowtail barracuda

The Yellowtail barracuda (Sphyraena flavicauda) is a smaller species of barracuda from the Sphyraenidae family, found in the Indo-West Pacific region and has entered the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal from the Red Sea (Lessepsian migration).

The Yellowtail barracuda has an elongated body with two well-separated dorsal fins. The anterior dorsal fin has five spines, the first being the longest, and the second dorsal fin starts slightly ahead of the anal fin. The pelvic fin is located below the tip of the pectoral fin, which, in turn, is positioned before the origin of the anterior dorsal fin. The head is large and slightly flattened towards the rear, with a large eye, a pointed snout, and long jaws, with the lower jaw being prognathic (projecting). The upper jaw has several canine-like teeth, followed by 4-5 sharp teeth in a single row on the palatine bone, and a row of smaller teeth on the premaxilla. The lower jaw has one large canine-like tooth at its tip and a row of smaller sharp teeth along each side. The back is gray with a contrasting white underside, the sides sometimes have a yellow tint, and the tail is yellow with black margins. They can reach lengths of up to 60 cm, but are most commonly 35-40 cm in size.

Yellowtail barracudas are found from the Red Sea to Samoa, with their northern limit being the Ryukyu Islands and the southern limit being the Great Barrier Reef. During the day, they hunt in lagoons and on inner and outer reef slopes; at night, they likely prey on fish and large invertebrates. Their eggs and fry are planktonic, while juveniles shelter in very protected coastal waters. Adults can reach a maximum age of six years.