Let's start with where it lives. Great barracudas live in warm seas around the world. They live around coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves. Look at the western Atlantic Ocean. There, great barracudas live from Massachusetts, in the United States, south to Brazil. They have been found as deep as about 100 meters (325 feet).

Now look closely at the fish. A barracuda has a long, slim body. The body is shaped like a torpedo. A torpedo is long and round. The biggest great barracudas grow to about 2 meters (6.5 feet) long. The biggest ones reported weigh about 50 kilograms (110 pounds). A great barracuda has large eyes. It is dark on top. It is silver and white underneath. Its dark back and light belly make it hard to see in the water. A young barracuda can change its colors. It can match its surroundings.

Now look at its mouth. A great barracuda has a large mouth. The mouth has many sharp teeth. Barracudas eat mostly other fish. Sometimes they eat other sea animals, such as squid, octopus or shrimp. A barracuda swallows small fish whole. It cuts bigger fish into pieces to swallow.

Here is how a great barracuda hunts. A barracuda hunts by ambush. Ambush means that it lies in wait. Then it surprises its prey. Prey is an animal that a hunter eats. Great barracudas are most active in the daytime. Great barracudas swim mostly at or near the surface of the sea. Adult great barracudas often swim alone.

Last, look at its life. Young barracudas grow up among mangroves and seagrass. There they can hide. Sharks and groupers are among the animals that eat barracudas.

A great barracuda does not look after its eggs. The eggs drift away in the open water. Great barracudas live at least 14 years.

Words to know

• ambush: wait and surprise
• torpedo: long round shape
• prey: hunted animal
• mangroves: shore trees
• surroundings: what is around

The short version

The great barracuda is a long, slim fish shaped like a torpedo. It lives in warm seas around the world, near coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves. It eats mostly other fish. It hunts by ambush: it lies in wait and then surprises its prey.

Quick facts

• The biggest great barracudas grow to about 2 meters (6.5 feet) long.
• A great barracuda is dark on top and silver and white underneath.
• A barracuda swallows small fish whole and cuts bigger fish into pieces to swallow.
• Great barracudas are most active in the daytime.
• Great barracudas live at least 14 years.