Great barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) is a saltwater, brackish species recorded in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, United States. It is mainly found over reef, at depths of 0–100 m. The main season in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, United States runs summer.
Scientific name: Sphyraena barracuda · Water: Saltwater, Brackish · Season: Summer
Size: up to 200 cm
The great barracuda reaches 2 m, commonly about 140 cm, lives 18 years and matures at about 66 cm - and summer is the main season for it in Hong Kong. Juveniles use mangroves, estuaries and shallow sheltered reef, while adults range from murky inner harbours out to the open sea. It is usually solitary, sometimes in small aggregations, and hunts at or near the surface by day. It feeds on fishes and cephalopods, occasionally shrimps. Mostly sold fresh, also dried or salted. It is ciguatoxic through most of its range (not in the eastern Atlantic); it rarely attacks people, but the strike is fast and vicious.
Caution: large individuals carry a ciguatera risk. Heat, cold and marinating do not remove the toxin, which concentrates in the liver, roe and head, so avoid eating those parts. Seek medical help if numbness, tingling or a reversed sense of hot and cold follows a meal.
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