The Great Barracuda

The Great Barracuda

1. There are over 344 species of sharks and only 27 have been accused of attacking humans.  Those three sharks include:
Great White (Carcharodon Carcharias),
Bull Shark (Carcharhinus Leucas),
Tiger Shark (Galeocerdo Cuviev).

2. The great barracuda lives in warm waters throughout the world. Because it lives in warmer waters it is most commonly found between longitudes 30 degrees north and 30 degrees south. The most populated area of barracudas is in the Western Atlantic from Massachusetts to Brazil, and also the Caribbean region and the Gulf of Mexico. 

3. Great barracudas commonly occur in near shore coral reefs, sea grasses, and mangroves. 

4. Most barracuda are solitary fish, although some groups who live out in the open ocean will stick together.

5. Barracuda who live in the open ocean are pretty rare, and are never found below depths 325 feet. These barracuda usually come into the shallows at night to sleep. 

6. The body is colored silver overall, with dark green to gray along the back. Blotches on the lower sides are variable in number, size, and position. 

7. The species reaches a length of 6 feet and a weight slightly greater than 100 pounds. The top of the head between the eyes is nearly flat and the mouth is large, containing many large sharp teeth and a projecting lower jaw. 

8. The reflective silver color found on some barracudas allows it to use sunlight as a way to confuse its prey. 

9. Barracudas can be found in huge schools of several thousand.

10. A group of adult barracudas is called a 'battery'.

11. They are known as the 'Tigers of the Sea', because of their fearsome presence and sharp, pointed teeth.

12. Great Barracudas do not care for their young.

13. Humans have not derived a way to tell a male Barracuda from a female. 

14. Barracudas have two completely separate dorsal fins. 

15. Barracudas are generally hunted for gaming purposes. They do not make good eating fish.

16. Barracudas have sharp, canine-like teeth that can slice its victims to pieces. 

17. Great barracudas feed on:
fish like jacks, grunts, groupers, snappers, small tunas, mullets, killifishes, herrings, and anchovies.

18. When they see a good fish, barracuda attack almost instantaneously, using bursts of speed that can reach 36 miles per hour.

19. Prey have literally no time to react, and once they are caught they don't stand a chance because the barracuda cuts them in to pieces and swallows them.

20. Very little is known about the spawning and reproduction of the great barracuda. It is believed that barracuda spawning is seasonal.

21. The 1975 film “Jaws” about a killer shark, scared audiences out of the water, and fueled a worldwide hatred and fear of sharks.

22. In the United States, the chances of drowning are 1000 times greater than being attacked by a shark.

23. Sharks are in the water with humans all the time and yet you have a better chance of being struck by lightning than bitten by a shark!!!!

24. One of the main reasons that scientists believe that sharks attack surfers is because a person on a surfboard resembles the sharks normal prey, a seal.

25. People eat all different kinds of sharks.  One of the most common types of food is shark fin soup.

26. The gallbladder and part of the shark’s liver have been shown to improve acne and other skin complaints.

27. Health pills made from shark’s liver claim to reduce the incident of heart disease and cancer, and to increase longevity.

28. For many years, shark livers were used as a source of vitamin A and E until a synthetic alternative was discovered in the 1950’s

29. Most sharks do not appear to be especially interested in the blood of mammals as opposed to fish blood.

30. Don’t fear them, rather  admire them for their beauty and grace.