Barracuda Teeth Facts A Surprising Set Of Teeth

If you have ever seen or caught a barracuda the first thing you will notice is that they have two unique sets of sharp teeth. Their second set of teeth are small needle-like teeth and there on the outer part of their jaw. Both teeth have their job when it comes to feeding and I go more in-depth on what they do differently and how they work together for consuming prey.

As you keep reading you will learn all about barracuda teeth from how many teeth they have to how big they can grow and how sharp their teeth are.

In this article, I also talk about if barracuda can bite through your fishing line, what pound test line to use for fishing barracuda and what the best lure for barracuda is so that you can increase your chances of catching them.

By the end of this article, you will learn all about barracuda teeth facts and great tips that you can use for finding and fishing barracuda.

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Barracuda Teeth Facts

How Many Teeth Does A Barracuda Have?

Barracuda can have more than two hundred sharp teeth about one hundred of them are small needle-like teeth and they are on the outer area at the top of the jaw which is their second row of teeth. On the front jaw section of the barracuda’s mouth, there are around twenty fang-like teeth and on the bottom and upper row jaw, they have about eighty sharp teeth.

Even with so many big-sized teeth, the barracuda is still able to close its mouth fully because its fang-like teeth are angled in a perfect position and they have two sets of teeth that work with each other to consume prey.

When a barracuda hunts it attacks by ram striking also known as ram biting they use their fast swimming speed to ram its prey and bite as soon they ram which makes their bite much more powerful.

After it, ram bites the barracuda will then go into a frenzy and quickly bite while headshaking to shred its prey and slice it into pieces in the process. The barracuda’s strong ram strike and fast headshaking bites make it so that they can eat fish that are bigger than them by cutting them up into bits with their sharp bone-breaking teeth.

What Do Barracuda Teeth Look Like?

The front teeth of a barracuda look like large fangs their similar to a pike’s bottom set of fang-like teeth but they’re a lot wider, bigger, and stronger. Also unlike pike, barracuda have teeth that are powerful enough to break bones. Deeper into their mouth on the top and bottom row they have more fang-like teeth.

What makes barracuda unique is that they have two pairs of teeth and the second pair of teeth are on the outside of their jaw, they look like small needle-like teeth and they do most of the shredding.

What Lures To Use For Barracuda?

When fishing for barracuda the best barracuda lure is going to be a long lure with a length of about seven inches and a shiny body because barracuda are attracted to everything shiny and a long lure makes it easier for barracuda to see it and gives you a long casting distance that’s helpful when you’re targeting them.

On top of that, you’re going to want two treble hooks for landing great hooksets on barracuda. Once a barracuda bites quickly retrieving your lure until your drag goes out will be the best way to set a hook on a barracuda.

How Big Can Barracuda Teeth Grow?

Barracuda teeth can grow over one inch long so they can get quite big, the average barracuda teeth size is 0.5 to one inch in length so taking a bite from a barracuda can be very dangerous. The front section of the barracuda mouth usually has the bigger-sized teeth which are fang-like teeth that grow larger than the rest of them and up to one and a half inches long.

The teeth from the bottom jaw section are slightly smaller-sized teeth than the front teeth and they grow around one inch in length.

The second set of teeth that the barracuda has are on the upper jaw located on the outer section and their the smallest teeth in its mouth which are needle-like teeth that only grow up to 0.5 inches. Its outer teeth help shred its prey and do a similar job to the needle-like teeth of a northern pike.

Depending on the size of the barracuda their teeth can grow even bigger making barracuda a fish that you will want to avoid being bitten by.

How Sharp Are Barracuda Teeth?

Barracuda teeth are extremely sharp especially their front jaw fang-like teeth, their sharp enough to pierce through bone and they can break rib bones with one bite so make sure that you’re careful when handling one.

Can Barracuda Bite Through Fishing Line?

Yes, barracuda have sharp and powerful teeth that can easily bite through fishing line so if you’re going to fish for barracuda make sure you use a fifty-pound test wire leader line to catch them.

When I go fishing for barracuda I always use a fifty-pound test wire leader because barracuda won’t be able to bite through the wire leader line and it pretty much guarantees my catch so that I’m able to land any barracuda that strikes without a problem.

Braided and monofilament line as a leader line just won’t cut it when it comes to fishing for barracuda since their teeth are so sharp and that type of line will just get bitten off too quickly causing the barracuda to escape with your lure.

As for fluorocarbon line, it can increase barracuda strikes since it’s less visible when underwater which is great but its material isn’t tough enough to withstand the bite of a barracuda and will also get cut off like monofilament and braided line.

There are some fishers that like to use fluorocarbon line as a leader line to increase the chance for more barracuda bites but they are also taking a higher risk on their line from being bitten off which is not worth it.

What Pound Line For Barracuda?

The recommended pound line to use for fishing barracuda is going to be a twenty-pound test braided line but that is not all. A fifty-pound test wire leader line will also be needed for this fishing application or else any barracuda that bites will just bite right through your fishing line so always be sure to use a wire leader.

Barracuda Facts And Frequently Asked Questions:

What’s A Barracuda And What Do Barracudas Look Like?

A barracuda is an aggressive saltwater fish that has two sets of fang-like teeth that are sharp and a long slender body that helps it fit in tight crevasses so that it can sneak attack its prey. It’s a Sphyraenidae fish species that’s in the order of Istiophoriformes.

Along with that it has a pointy head and a silvery striped body with black spots and smooth scales its darker on its upper section and its belly is white. Also, its mouth has an underbite and unlike most fish that have spines on their gill covers, barracudas have scales instead.

What Do Barracuda Eat?

Barracuda eat many types of fish like grouper, anchovies, jack crevalle, herring, mullet, mangrove snapper, killifish, grunt, silverfish, and smaller-sized tuna. Not only are the barracuda’s teeth sharp and deadly when they bite their prey but their incredibly fast speed also makes them even more dangerous to anything that’s in the barracuda diet.

The main reason why barracuda have such a diversified diet is because its an aggressive fish predator that strikes based on opportunity. It doesn’t have many predators that hunt for it which puts barracuda higher up in the food chain.

With barracuda being a hunter by sight most of the prey that it hunts have shiny bodies so if a scuba diver has anything shiny the barracuda will most likely be attracted to the shimmering item on them since its used to hunting shiny fish like silverfish and mullet and will rush to the scuba diver to check it out.

Are Barracudas Aggressive?

Yes, barracudas are aggressive fish predators with sharp teeth that will sneak up on their prey by rapidly swimming towards them in short bursts so that they can attack by ram biting. Since their fast, long, and thin fish with strong deadly teeth this gives them an advantage over most fish on the ecosystem and puts them higher up on the food chain to where they don’t have as many predators that can eat them.

Are Barracudas Carnivores?

Barracudas are carnivores that hunt fish like herring, red snapper, jack crevalle, grunt, mullet, anchovies, and many other types of silverfish. With barracuda’s sharp teeth and quick speed, they get to be at top of the food chain with the other dangerous carnivore fish.

Carnivores have powerful sharp teeth for eating the meat of their prey and barracudas have two sets of teeth which makes them even more of a carnivore. One set of teeth pierces the meat of its prey while the other set shreds them.

Do Barracudas Eat Sharks?

No barracudas do not eat sharks they are far too big and strong for a barracuda to eat them but sharks, on the other hand, will prey on barracuda and eat them but they are one of the few predators that barracuda have.

Do Barracudas Have Scales?

Yes, barracuda have scales they are small scales that are smooth and most of the scales are silvery and light reflective.

What Eats Barracuda Fish?

Barracuda are big and quick fish that are high up in the fish food chain so there is only a handful of predators that eat them including large tuna, dolphins, sharks, goliath grouper, killer whales, and even bigger barracuda will eat smaller sized barracuda.

Where Can You Find Barracudas And Where Do Barracudas Live?

Barracudas live in subtropical and tropical waters so if you’re looking to fish for barracuda then you’re going to have to find them in the Pacific ocean, Atlantic ocean, and both the Caribbean and Red sea as well.

Since barracudas have bodies that can fit in small areas they use that to their advantage and live in areas that have coral reefs and vegetation like seagrass to hide in and blend in within their surroundings. This helps them stay safe against predators like sharks and also at surprising nearby prey with a deadly bite but they also like to be near vegetated topwater where it’s warm.

Why Do Barracuda Stink?

Barracuda stink because the slime that their covered with has bacteria that makes hydrogen sulfide which gives barracuda a rotten fishy smell that stinks.

Do Barracuda Eat Fish Eggs?

No barracuda do not eat fish eggs for the most part they feed on silverfish like anchovies, small tuna, and herring.

Why Do Barracudas Like Shiny Things?

Barracuda like shiny things because they mostly eat silverfish that have shiny bodies like jack crevalle and anchovies so when a barracuda sees anything shiny in the water it’s going to be attracted to it since it’s pretty much what their prey looks like.

How Deep Do Barracudas Live?

Barracudas can live very deep and swim in depths of more than three hundred and sixty feet but you can still find them close to the surface near coral reefs, mangroves, and vegetated areas since they like warmer water temperatures.

How Fast Can A Barracuda Swim?

Barracuda can swim extremely quickly with them being able to reach swimming speeds of up to thirty-six miles per hour. Its body is long and thin for an aerodynamic shape which helps with its speed and when a barracuda strikes it swims very fast in short bursts to reach its prey.

How Long Is A Barracuda And How Big Is A Barracuda?

The average length for a barracuda is two to three feet long and they can grow to be up to six feet long. Also, they have an average weight of five to twenty pounds but they can weigh more than one hundred pounds so barracudas can get big.

The largest barracuda that has ever been caught on a fishing rod had a weight of one hundred and three pounds and a length of 5.6 feet! They can live to be fourteen years old and for each year that passes the barracuda will get a ring on its scales so if you catch one you can count the rings to see how old it is.

Do Barracudas School?

Yes, the younger aged barracuda will school in big packs of thousands and hundreds for that added protection against bigger sized predators like dolphins and sharks. While the young barracuda are in schools if they were to get attacked by a shark they would defend themselves by making a tornado formation so that not one barracuda is focused by it.

Once they reach the age of an adult they stop schooling to become loners and only hunt alone after that.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, barracuda have extremely sharp fang-like teeth that are powerful enough to break bones so being extra cautious when you catch one will be a great idea to avoid getting bitten.

Now that you have learned all about barracuda teeth be sure to handle any barracuda that you catch with extra care.