barracuda

/bar'euh kooh"deuh/, n., pl. (esp. collectively) barracuda, (esp. referring to two or more kinds or species) barracudas for 1; barracudas for 2.

1. any of several elongated, predaceous, tropical and subtropical marine fishes of the genus Sphyraena, certain species of which are used for food.

2. Slang. a treacherous, greedy person.

[1670-80; < AmerSp < ?]

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Any of about 20 species of predaceous marine fishes (family Sphyraenidae) found in all warm and tropical regions and in some more temperate areas.

Swift and powerful, barracudas are slender and have small scales, a jutting lower jaw, and a large mouth with many large, sharp teeth. They vary in size from relatively small to 4–6 ft (1.2–1.8 m) long. They are primarily fish eaters. They are popular sport fishes and are caught for food, though in certain seas they may become contaminated with a toxic substance. Bold and inquisitive, they are potentially dangerous to humans when large.

Barracuda (Sphyraena)

C. Leroy French/Tom Stack & Associates

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▪ fish

 any of about 20 species of predacious fishes of the family Sphyraenidae (order Perciformes). Barracudas are found in all warm and tropical regions; some also range into more temperate areas. Swift and powerful, they are slender in form, with small scales, two well-separated dorsal fins, a jutting lower jaw, and a large mouth with many large, sharp teeth. Size varies from rather small to 1.2–1.8 m (4–6 feet) in the great barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) of the Atlantic, Caribbean, and western Pacific.

      Barracudas are primarily fish eaters, preying on such smaller fishes as mullets, anchovies, and grunts. They are esteemed as sport fishes, and the smaller forms are also valued as food. In certain seas, however, they may become impregnated with a toxic substance that produces a form of poisoning known as ciguatera. Barracudas are often regarded as bold and inquisitive, and large ones are regarded as fearsome fishes, potentially dangerous to humans. The threat, though probably exaggerated, is real; the great barracuda is known to have been involved in attacks on swimmers.

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