Family: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Myanmar Names: None
Occurence: Native
Description (Source: Wikipedia)
Great barracuda's coloration is blue-gray above, fading to silvery and chalky-white below. Sometimes, a row of darker cross-bars occurs on its upper side, with black blotches on each lower side. The second dorsal fin and the anal and caudal fins range from dark violet to black with white tips.
In general, barracudas are elongated fish with powerful jaws. The lower jaw of the large mouth juts out beyond the upper. Barracudas possess strong, fang-like teeth that are unequal in size and set in sockets in the jaws and on the roof of the mouth. The head is quite large and is pointed and pike-like in appearance. The gill covers do not have spines and are covered with small scales. The two dorsal fins are widely separated, with the first having five spines and the second having one spine and 9 soft rays. The second dorsal fin equals the anal fin in size and is situated more or less above it. The lateral line is prominent and extends straight from head to tail. The spinous dorsal fin is situated above the pelvis. The hind end of the caudal fin is forked or concave, and it is set at the end of a stout peduncle. The pectoral fins are placed low down on the sides. The barracuda has a large swim bladder.
Biology / Diet / Behavior (Source: Wikipedia)
Barracudas appear in open seas. They are voracious predators and hunt using a classic example of lie-in-wait or ambush. They rely on surprise and short bursts of speed (up to 27 mph (43 km/h) to overrun their prey, sacrificing maneuverability. Barracudas are more or less solitary in their habits. Young and half-grown fish frequently congregate in shoals.
The spawning season lasts from April to October. They can release about 5,000 to 30, 000 eggs. The diets of these top predators of reefs are composed almost totally of fish of all kinds, of cephalopods, and occasionally of shrimps. Large barracudas, when gorged, may attempt to herd a school of prey fish in shallow water where they guard over them until they are ready for another hunt.
Fly Fishing For Barracuda In Myanmar: What We Understand & Know So Far...
We have not come across barracuda a lot, actually only a few times . They were close to the rocky shore in protected areas, patrolling close to schools of bait fish and hunting every once in a while, resulting in noisy splashes and small fishes jumping all around.
A small clouser minnow in white and charteuse colour did wonders, after unsuccessful attempts with other patterns and other colours.
