A great barracuda is a long, thin fish. Its body is shaped like a torpedo. It lives in warm seas around the world.
The biggest ones grow to about 6.5 feet long. The biggest ones reported weigh about 110 pounds.
It is dark on top. It is silver and white underneath. It has large eyes.
It has a large mouth with many sharp teeth. It swallows small fish whole. It cuts bigger fish into pieces to swallow.
It eats mostly other fish. Sometimes it eats squid or shrimp.
It hunts by ambush. It lies in wait. Then it surprises its prey. It is most active in the daytime.
An adult often swims alone. It swims mostly at or near the top of the sea.
It lives around coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves. Young ones grow up among mangroves and seagrass, where they can hide.
It does not look after its eggs. They drift away in the open water. A great barracuda lives at least 14 years.
Words to know
- torpedo: long round shape
- ambush: wait and surprise
- prey: hunted animal
- seagrass: sea plants
