Sphyraena qenie

Blackfin barracuda | Blacktail Barracuda | Chevron Barracuda
Sphyraena qenie
Sphyraena qenie, Raja Ampat, Indonesia, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Sphyraena qenie
Sphyraena qenie, Naigani Is, Fiji, Photo: Andrew Green
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Sphyraena qenie
Sphyraena qenie

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.