A great barracuda finds its prey mostly by sight. It has large eyes. It hunts by ambush. It lies in wait and then surprises its prey. Great barracudas are most active in the daytime. They sometimes herd schools of fish into shallow water.

A barracuda has a long, slim body shaped like a torpedo. 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 two dorsal (back) fins. The fins are set far apart.

A great barracuda 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 great barracuda has a large mouth with many sharp teeth. Barracudas eat mostly other fish. Sometimes they eat squid, octopus or shrimp. A barracuda swallows small fish whole. It cuts bigger fish into pieces to swallow.

Great barracudas live in warm seas around the world. They have been found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, and in the Red Sea. In the western Atlantic, they live from Massachusetts, in the United States, south to Brazil. They swim mostly at or near the surface of the sea. They have been found as deep as about 100 meters (325 feet).

Great barracudas live around coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves. Young barracudas grow up among mangroves and seagrass, where they can hide. A young barracuda can change its colors to match its surroundings.

A great barracuda does not look after its eggs. They drift away in the open water. A male is about 2 years old, and a female about 4, when they can first breed. Great barracudas live at least 14 years.

Words to know

• ambush: wait and surprise
• herd: drive together
• dorsal: on the back
• breed: have young