Barracuda Trivia Quiz

Answer: They think you are a large predator and a source of scraps

Barracuda tend to swim towards divers and swimmers as they think that the swimmer is a large predator and that scraps of food will be left after a kill. They don't often attack humans unless the water is murky or they are attracted in some way.

Answer: fish

Barracuda eat other smaller fish, such as mullet and sardines, although they will attack larger prey, which they tear chunks from, rather than swallowing whole. They do not prey on human beings, coral, turtles or birds.

Answer: Yes

Barracuda are dangerous to human beings for several reasons. They are attracted to shiny jewellery worn by divers as these appear to be like the small, shiny fish that they prey on. They have been known to attack people who have come too close to them (but uncommonly). They also may attack divers who have impaled them on a fishing spear.

Answer: ciguatera poisoning

Ciguatera poisoning is a risk for those who eat barracuda. Toxins found in dinoflagellates move up the food chain to the apex predators. Eating barracuda can lead to gastrointestinal symptoms with nausea, vomiting and diarrhea as well as neurological symptoms such as headaches and numbness and tingling. Cooking doesn't remove the toxin and the effects of the toxin on the nerves can be prolonged for up to twenty years.

Answer: 43 km/h

Barracuda can swim for short distances at 43 km/h. Humans, on the other hand can swim, at best, 3.7 km/h and that is a fit swimmer with little drag.

Answer: six to seven feet

Barracuda can grow up to six or seven feet in length and at that size are usually solitary. The smaller ones, or juveniles, school together, and it is said that a scuba diver's dream is to find themselves in the center of a "tornado" of small, swirling barracuda.

Answer: late spring and summer

Barracuda follow the bait fish up the California coast as the water becomes warmer and the best barracuda fishing is in late spring to summer. By winter, most of the barracuda have returned south.

Answer: a large swim bladder

Barracuda have a large swim bladder which allows them to raise and lower themselves in the water with more agility than other fish. This is perfect for hunting reef dwellers and unwary snorkelers. The gill cover are smooth. Flukes are for whales.

Answer: a sensory organ

Lateral lines are sensory organs in fish and sharks that detect movements and vibrations in the water. The cells that detect the vibrations are called neuromasts and when prey is detected, the fish orients itself towards the prey using the lateral lines before dashing in to take a bite.

Answer: pike-like fish

Barracuda are indeed pike-like fish having a long slim body with a protruding lower jaw. The coloration is grey or silver on the top fading to white on the bottom of their bodies with dark patches or bars on their sides. They are actually very beautiful and divers seek them out for stunning underwater pictures.