Dykning med Barracudaer

Koh Lantas Marineliv | Sphyraenidae

Barracudaer findes over hele verden i alle varme og tropiske farvande og ses normalt i lavt vand tæt på koralrev og havgræsenger. Der er fire arter, der regelmæssigt ses, når man dykker fra Koh Lanta.

De er hurtige, kraftfulde og kendt for deres ofte frygtindgydende udseende. De har lange, tynde, aflange kroppe, og nogle arter kan blive op til 2 m lange.

Overkroppen er generelt grå eller sølvfarvet med en mørkeblå eller mørkegrøn farve, og underkroppen er hvidlig.

Kropsmarkeringer varierer fra art til art, typisk med striber, vinkler, pletter og flekker, der hjælper med at skelne arter fra hinanden.

Barracudaer har to korte, bredt adskilte rygfinner, en kløvet halefinne og små skæl. Deres finner kan være gullige eller mørke.

Det karakteristiske geddeagtige hoved er langt, tyndt og spidst, og mange arter har et stort underbid. Store, skarpe, hugtandslignende tænder stikker markant ud af kæben, hvilket giver dem et truende og skræmmende udseende.

Nogle arter, såsom den store barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda), ses normalt alene i de lave dele af revet omkring Koh Lanta, men andre arter kan ses både i små grupper og i meget store stimer på flere tusinde individer.

Barracudaer er rovdyr, der ligger på lur efter mindre fisk. Selvom det er sjældent, er den store barracuda kendt for at angribe svømmere ved en fejl.

Fjern skinnende smykker og diamantringe, når du dykker eller snorkler, da disse genstande er kendt for at tiltrække den store barracudas opmærksomhed og kan virke attraktive for dem.

4 arter fundet på denne side:

Bigeye Barracuda (Sphyraena forsteri)
Blackfin Barracuda (Sphyraena genie)
Pickhandle Barracuda (Sphyraena jello)
Great Barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda)

Bigeye Barracuda

(Sphyraena forsteri)

The Bigeye Barracuda is very common at both the Bida Islands and the Koh Haa Islands, particularly around Koh Haa Lagoon, where large schools are seen on almost every dive there.

The Bigeye Barracuda is a long silvery fish, often with a yellow or greenish stripe running from the mouth, through the eye, to, or nearly to, the tail fin base. Above the stripe are often a series of short diagonal bars of a similar colour to the stripe. The upper back (around the dorsal fin) is also the same colour as the mid-body stripe.

Sphyraena forsteri @ Koh Haa

The lower body is lighter than the upper body. The eye is large, and the lower jaw slightly protrudes beyond the upper jaw. There is a small dark blotch at the base of the pectoral fin, and the forked tail fin usually (but not always) has a very faint dark margin.

School of Bigeye Barracuda @ Koh Haa

The Bigeye Barracuda grows to 65 cm, but is usually observed in the 25 cm - 35 cm range. This species feeds nocturnally on fish, shrimp and squid, but is often seen in large schools close to coral reefs during the day. These schools can sometimes be very large.

Blackfin Barracuda

(Sphyraena genie)

Sphyraena genie @ Koh Bida

The Blackfin Barracuda has a silvery body with a dusky to dark tail fin with dark margins. The rear dorsal fin and anal fin are also often a dusky to dark colour.

The body is long, tube-like, and the lower jaw protrudes beyond the upper jaw. There are about 18 - 22 dark chevron markings on the sides.

Blackfin Barracuda grow to 100 cm, but more usually observed in the 50 cm - 80 cm range. We sometimes see this species alone, but also in very large schools of 1,000+ individuals.

This species is a nocturnal feeder, with schools likely dispersing to hunt at night.

Pickhandle Barracuda

(Sphyraena jello)

Sphyraena jello @ Koh Haa

The Pickhandle Barracuda has a very long silvery body with a yellowish tail and a huge mouth, with the lower jaw protruding significantly beyond the upper jaw.

There are around 10 - 20 wavy dark vertical bars along the side of the body.

Pickhandle Barracuda can grow to 150 cm, but more often seen 80 cm - 100 cm. The diet includes fish and squid.

Usually solitary, however occasionally we can see schools of several hundred in the shallows just outside of the reef area.

Great Barracuda

(Sphyraena barracuda)

Sphyraena barracuda @ Koh Haa

The Great Barracuda has a long, silvery tube-like body, large and very pointed teeth, and a lower jaw which protrudes beyond the upper jaw. The body has scattered dark patches and blotches.

When resting near a reef or the sandy bottom, this species can display a barred or mottled pattern to aid camouflage. There may be large black blotches on the tail fin and dorsal fins, especially the rear dorsal fin.

The Great Barracuda grows to 180 cm, but more commonly observed 60 cm - 80 cm.

The Great Barracuda is an ambush predator, feeding on fish and squid. Usually seen solitary, but occasionally in small groups.