Hobbies And Interests
Skeletal Design
The barracuda hunts its prey by swimming through the reefs or in a school. The barracuda's exceptionally long body gives it the flexibility to move in tight spaces between jutting reefs. The barracuda's relative elongation allows it to swim in dense schools, which the smaller species of barracuda use as a defense against predators. A school of barracudas swim in a tight, torpedo-shaped formation. The torpedo formation makes it difficult for the barracudas' predators to pick out any individual barracuda to attack.
Tail and Fins
The barracuda's tail, also called the caudal fin, propels the barracuda quickly through the water when the barracuda moves it quickly from side to side. The barracuda's streamlined body and its tail shape -- large relative to the rest of its body and forked -- give it exceptional speed in the water. The pectoral fins sit on the sides of the barracuda's body, perpendicular to the body. The barracuda's pectoral fins allow it to quickly maneuver, change directions and stop -- which is especially important in the barracuda's habitat, the reef. The distance between the barracuda's dorsal fins, which sit on top of the barracuda's back, keeps the fish streamlined, which also aids its agility and swimming speed.
Eye Design
The barracuda has sharp vision and relies a great deal on its sight when hunting. Its strong eyesight allows it to swim quickly even through the difficult-to-navigate spaces in reef. The barracuda, like many fish, lacks eyelids. This allows the barracuda to drift and swim slowly even while sleeping. The barracuda's perpetually open eyes allow it to swim while sleeping without being obviously vulnerable and it allows it to catch sight of threats and react quickly even while asleep.
Swim Bladder
The swim bladder is a chamber in the barracuda's body that it inflates or deflates with air in order to quickly move up or down within the ocean. When the swim bladder is inflated with air, the barracuda rise, since the air is lighter than the seawater -- the air within the swim bladder will move up toward the surface of the water, and it will pull the barracuda with it. When the swim bladder is deflated, the barracuda sinks back toward the ocean floor.