Sphyraena qenie
Blackfin barracuda | Blacktail Barracuda | Chevron Barracuda
Similar Species
Distribution
Temperate Australasia, Tropical Eastern Pacific, Tropical Indo-Pacific
Description
Identifying characteristics for this species vary among the experts. It is particularly easy to confuse with S. putnamae (Military Barracuda) (Australian RLS records are possibly this species), which has elongated fin rays forming a filament at the lower rear portion of the rear dorsal fin, while S. qenie has a scalloped tail shape (with noticable notch in the centre of the rear tail margin). The individual pictured from Raja Ampat shows both of these characteristics, however. The also similarly marked large barracuda S. jello has neither the scalloped tail margin (it has straight edges to the inside fork) nor longer dorsal fin filament.
Information
Max Size: 170 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 23.3-31.3°C
Depth: 1-100m
Habitat Generalization Index: N/A
Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.
Conservation and Rarity
IUCN Status: Not Evaluated
Occurrence: Infrequent (1.2% of sites)
Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed
Abundance: Many (21 per transect)
Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.
Edit by: Rick S-S