Midget Barracuda

Sphyraena chrysotaenia, commonly known as the yellowstripe barracuda, is a predatory, ray-finned fish belonging to the Sphyraenidae family. This species is native to the Indo-West Pacific region and has migrated to the Mediterranean Sea from the 🌊 Red Sea via the Suez Canal (🇪🇬 Egypt), becoming a significant component of the fisheries in the eastern Mediterranean.

Morphologically, Sphyraena chrysotaenia is characterized by its elongated, torpedo-shaped body, typical of barracudas, featuring two distinct dorsal fins. The first dorsal fin comprises five spiny rays, with the inaugural ray being the longest, progressively diminishing in size posteriorly. The second dorsal fin originates anterior to the anal fin, and the caudal fin exhibits a pronounced fork. Positioned directly beneath the first dorsal fin's origin, the pectoral fin is complemented by a pelvic fin below it. The species has a large, conical head with a prominent eye, pointed snout, and slightly protruding lower jaw. Both jaws and palate are equipped with large, variably-sized canine teeth. Covered in cycloid scales, the lateral line of this fish is nearly straight. The preoperculum is scaled, with a concave lower posterior margin. The fish is brown-grey dorsally and silvery ventrally, with a dusky stripe extending from the snout through the eye's center, above the pectoral fin base, to the tail base, sometimes exhibiting a yellowish hue on the head. The distal parts of the first dorsal and caudal fins are blackish, while the second dorsal, pectoral, and caudal fin base are yellowish. Individuals have been documented reaching up to 32 cm in standard length, though they average between 20 and 25 cm.

Geographically, Sphyraena chrysotaenia populates the Indo-West Pacific, from the 🌊 Red Sea and 🇲🇬 Madagascar east through the 🌊 Indian Ocean to 🇨🇳 China and northern 🇦🇺 Australia. Its initial presence in the Mediterranean was reported off the coast of Palestine in 1931, with a noted westward expansion to Malta by 1993 and the southern Adriatic Sea by 2001.

Ecologically, Sphyraena chrysotaenia forms large schools in inshore waters encompassing both pelagic and demersal zones at depths up to 50 meters. It predominantly preys on fish such as Sardinella aurita and Engraulis encrasicolus, while also feeding on crustaceans. The Mediterranean spawning season extends from April to September, or from August to November in the central Mediterranean. Eggs and larvae are planktonic, with juveniles frequently recorded in shallow waters. The species exhibits a lifespan of approximately five years, reaching sexual maturity around two years of age, at a total length of 195 mm for females and 197.1 mm for males.

An analysis of the parasitic relationships of Sphyraena chrysotaenia in the Mediterranean indicates a loss of two parasite species post-migration, the co-introduction of three, and the acquisition of six native species from the congener Sphyraena sphyraena.

Currently, Sphyraena chrysotaenia represents the most prevalent barracuda species captured by artisanal fisheries in Lebanon, surpassing other species by 70%. It is effectively harvested in substantial quantities from inshore waters using purse-seine nets, gillnets, and trawling methods. The species was first documented in the Gulf of Gabes, 🇹🇳 Tunisia in 2002, now constituting an important component of the regional fisheries. However, studies in the Gulf of Suez indicate signs of stock overexploitation, with fish being harvested before reaching sexual maturity.