Sphyraena forsteri  Cuvier, 1829

Bigeye barracuda
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Sphyraena forsteri   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Sphyraena forsteri (Bigeye barracuda)
Sphyraena forsteri
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Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Perciformes (Perch-likes) > Sphyraenidae (Barracudas)
Etymology: Sphyraena: Greek, sphyraina, -es = the name of a fish (Ref. 45335).   More on author: Cuvier.

Environment / Climate / Range Ecology

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 6 - 300 m (Ref. 1602).   Tropical; 30°N - 23°S

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 75.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 9710); common length : 50.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 9768)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 6; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 9. Body elongate and sub cylindrical with small cycloid scales; head long and pointed. Mouth large and horizontal, the tip of the lower jaw protruding; intermaxilla non-protractile. Preoperculum broadly rounded. Lower limb of the first fill arch with spiny tubercles. First dorsal fin origin opposite or before the pectoral tip, the first spine shorter than the second. Color is generally blackish above and silvery below.

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions | Faunafri

Indo-Pacific: East Africa to Southeast Asia and the Marquesan and Society islands, north to southern Japan, south to New Caledonia.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Nocturnally active, but occurring in large schools above lagoon patch reefs and along outer reef slopes during the day (Ref. 9768, 48637). Feeds mainly on fishes, but also on penaeid shrimps and squids. Sold fresh, frozen or dried salted. Reports of ciguatera poisoning need confirmation.

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Rose, J.H., 1984. Sphyraenidae. In W. Fischer and G. Bianchi (eds.) FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Western Indian Ocean (Fishing Area 51). Vol. 4. FAO, Rome. pag. var.

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 90363)

  Not Evaluated 

Threat to humans

  Reports of ciguatera poisoning (Ref. 30298)




Human uses

Fisheries: commercial
FAO(Publication : search) | FisheriesWiki | Sea Around Us

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Internet sources

BHL | Cloffa | BOLDSystems | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | DiscoverLife | Faunafri | Fishtrace | GenBank(genome, nucleotide) | GOBASE | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | iSpecies | National databases | PubMed | Scirus | SeaLifeBase | Tree of Life | uBio | Wikipedia(Go, Search) | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoobank | Zoological Record

Estimates of some properties based on empirical models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805):  PD50 = 0.5000   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00683 (-0.09788 - 0.11155), b=2.95 (2.88 - 3.01), based on LWR estimates for species & genus-BS (Ref. 93245).
Trophic Level (Ref. 69278):  4.3   ±0.8 se; Based on diet studies.
Resilience (Ref. 69278):  Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Moderate vulnerability (44 of 100) .
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Medium.