Barracudas
barracuda
Snook
Sphyraena novaehollandiae
About
The snook, also called the Australian barracuda, is a sleek, fast hunter. It patrols cooler southern waters in large, restless shoals.
Also known as: australian sea pike, australian barracuda, arrow barracuda, shortfin barracuda, short-fin pike, striped barracuda, yellowtail, seapike, shortfin seapike, shortfin pike, short-finned seapike, short-finned sea-pike, short-finned sea pike, short-finned pike
How to tell it apart
Many barracuda species share this slim, silver, fang-toothed look. On the snook, the back fin (dorsal fin) sits far back, starting well behind the side fins (pectoral fins) rather than close to them.
Appearance
This barracuda has a long, slim, torpedo-shaped body, thinner than most of its relatives. The back is greenish, the flanks (sides) silvery, fading to white on the belly, with a greenish-yellow tail. The snout is cone-shaped with a jutting lower jaw and rows of fang-like teeth.
Habitat
Snook live in cooler inshore waters. They favour beds of seagrass or seaweed and open sandy patches near reefs. They form large shoals that roam the open water, ranging along Australia's southern and eastern coasts to Tasmania and northern New Zealand.
Did you know?
During its short spawning season the snook disappears from its usual inshore grounds entirely, likely moving offshore into deeper water to breed before returning.
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