About Sphyraena flavicauda Rüppell, 1838
Sphyraena flavicauda Rüppell, 1838, commonly called the yellowtail barracuda, has an elongated body with two clearly separated dorsal fins. The front (anterior) dorsal fin has five spines, with the first spine being the longest. The start of the second dorsal fin sits slightly forward of the start of the anal fin. The pelvic fin is located below the tip of the pectoral fin, which itself is positioned in front of the origin of the anterior dorsal fin. This species has a large head that is slightly flattened toward the rear, with a large eye, pointed snout, long jaws, and a lower jaw that projects past the upper jaw (prognathic). At the front of the upper jaw, there are several fang-like teeth, followed by 4–5 sharp teeth arranged in a single row on the palatine, then a single row of smaller teeth on the premaxilla. The lower jaw has one large canine-like tooth at its tip, followed by a row of smaller sharp teeth along each side of the jaw. The yellowtail barracuda is grey on its back and white on its underside in a countershaded pattern, and the flanks occasionally have a yellow tint. Its tail is yellow with black edges. This species can reach a maximum length of 60 centimetres (24 inches), though most adult individuals measure 35 to 40 centimetres (14 to 16 inches) long. Its native distribution ranges from the Red Sea eastward through the Indian and Pacific Oceans to Samoa; its northern range limit is the Ryukyu Islands, and its southern range limit is the Great Barrier Reef. It was first recorded in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel in 1991, and has since spread across the entire eastern Mediterranean Basin. It is an established species in the Mediterranean, though still relatively uncommon. Its actual population status there may be hidden by confusion with closely related species that share the same range (sympatric congeners). However, surveys off the coast of Libya have found that both the yellowtail barracuda and Sphyraena chrysotaenia are common in that area.
