Barracuda Family


Whole pacific Barracuda Fsh [family Sphyraenus]

These very elongated fish are fearsome predators, with strong jaws and sharp teeth, but very rarely attacks swimmers. They are found mostly in tropical and subtropical seas. The photo is of a Pacific Barracuda (Sphyraena argentea) which can grow to almost 60 inches and 26 pounds, but the Great Barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) of the Atlantic can get up to 72 inches and 100 pounds.
Caution:   Barracuda can be highly toxic in tropical reef areas like Florida, the Indian Ocean, Hawaii and northern Australia. Pacific Barracuda (S. argentea) is generally safe, as is the European Barracuda.

more on Varieties of Fish (very large page).


Pacific Barracuda


Whole Pacific Barracuda [Sphyraena argentea]

This fish is found only in the the eastern Pacific, from Alaska to the southern tip of Baja California, Mexico, but is rare north of Point Conception in Southern California, It can grow to almost 60 inches and 26 pounds, but the photo spcimen was 42-1/2 inches long and weigh 8-1/3 pounds. This Barracuda is very rarely a Ciguatera risk as it doesn't hang out around reefs.   Details and Cooking.

European Barracuda


Whole European Barracuda [Mediterranean barracuda; Barracuda de Méditerranée (French); Sphyraena sphyraena]

This predatory fish can be found from northern Spain, through the Mediterranean and Black Sea, and down the west coast of Africa to Angola. A few have been reported from Bermuda and Brazil. It can grow to 65 inches (165 cm) and 26 pounds (12 kg) but is commonly 24 inches (60 cm). It is a minor commercial catch in the region, and does not present a Ciguatera risk. This fish can take care of itself and is IUNC Red List LC (Least Concern).   Details and Cooking.   Photo by Béotien lambda contributed to the Public Domain.

Guinean Barracuda


Whole Guinean Barracuda [Kuta (Nigeria); Sphyraena afra]

This predatory fish can be found from just south of Morocco all the way around to northern Namibia. It can grow to 80 inches and 100 pounds, but is more commonly 40 inches (100 cm). It is a minor commercial fish, caught with low-tech fishing gear, Nigeria accounting for most of the catch.   Details and Cooking.   Photo by Jeff Camrrubi (cropped) published under license Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial v3.0 Unported.

Obtuse Barracuda


Whole Obtuse Barracuda [Cá Nhông Vàng (Viet); Sphyraena obtusata   |   very similar Yellowtail Barracuda Sphyraena flavicauda]

Like other Barracuda, these fish are fearsome predators with strong jaws and sharp teeth, but are small (usually less than 16 inches) and only attack smaller prey. These are Indo-West Pacific fish. The Obtuse is common from the east coast of Africa and the Red Sea through the Pacific islands, possibly as far as Hawaii, and from Japan all around Australia. The Yellowtail has a similar but slightly more restricted range. Both these fish are harvested commercially, and are both IUCN Red List NE (Not Evaluated). These small Barracuda are not considered a Ciguatera risk.   Details and Cooking.


Health & Safety

Ciguatera:

  For Barracuda that live in tropical reef regions, mind the warnings about toxins. For details see Ciguatera Poisoning. Some fishermen in Central America say small (18 inches or so) fish are safe. In Florida some fishermen flop small barracuda on the dock, if flies settle on it it's OK, otherwise not (large barracuda are always toxic there). In some Central American countries ants are used for the same purpose. I have no idea if any of these tests are effective. Pacific Barracuda (S. argentea - photo) from the west coast of North America is generally considered safe (no reef environment here), and the same for European Barracuda.

Scombroid:

  Like other fish in the Mackerel Family, Barracuda contain the amino acid Histidine, which bacteria convert to Histamine if the fish is not not properly handled. It should be iced as soon as it is caught and kept refrigerated until cooked. Scombroid is not usually as serious as Ciguatera, except for persons allergic to bee and wasp stings. An overload of histamines causes tingling of the lips and mouth, skin rashes, vomiting and other symptoms. Even untreated, the symptoms are usually gone within 12 hours, but persons with bee and wasp sting allergies should be immediately treated with antihistamines.

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