Barracouta have a large mouth armed with rows of dagger-like teeth. Body elongate and strongly compressed. Lateral line single, running close to the upper contour of the body below most of the first dorsal-fin base then abruptly curving ventrally. Body is dark blue, slightly paler on belly; first dorsal fin membrane black

Barracouta are migratory fish but their movements are largely unknown. Large schools are common in the otago Harbour late summer/early autumn. Inhabit continental shelves or around islands. Form schools near the bottom or midwater; sometimes even at the surface at night. Prefers temperature between 13° and 18°C

Feed on pelagic crustaceans (Euphausia, Nyctiphanes), cephalopods and fishes like anchovy and pilchard.

One of the staple food fish for the early Maori.
Eaten by the NZ Fur Seal.

A Treasury of New Zealand Fishes: Graham
Nakamura, I. and N.V. Parin, 1993. FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 15. Snake mackerels and cutlassfishes of the world (families Gempylidae and Trichiuridae). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of the snake mackerels, snoeks, escolars, gemfishes, sackfishes, domine, oilfish, cutlassfishes,. scabbardfishes, hairtails, and frostfishes known to date. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(15):136 p.