Sphyrcena barracuda; its Morphology, Habits, and History. 77 



the Sphyrsenidse, says that this is probably due to the fact that the 

 young stages are pelagic. He adds: "I captured in the sea far distant 

 from the coast, in the surface plankton, a specimen only 13 mm. long 

 of a Sphyrsena species, which I have been unable to identify." He then 

 adds that he has also taken four specimens of S. jello varying from 47 to 

 55 mm. long. 



HOW THE BARRACUDA MAY BE TAKEN. 



Taking advantage of the habit of the barracuda in basking near the 

 surface of the water, and of its insatiable curiosity, it was our custom 

 to have a trolling-spoon behind the Velella or the Henderson (our smaller 

 launches) on their trips to and from the various collecting-grounds. 

 In this way most of the barracudas studied were caught. These 

 spoons were connected by a swivel to a "snood" of 6 or 8 feet of 

 piano wire, and this in turn by means of another swivel was attached 

 to the heavy cotton hand line. The wire was necessary to keep the 

 fish from cutting the line, and the swivels to keep it from snarling the 

 latter while endeavoring to break away. 



Our largest barracuda was thus taken in the summer of 1913. In 

 the latter part of the season we secured several good specimens, but 

 during the first part the barracudas took our spoons in one, two, three 

 order until it seemed that every big barracuda in the harbor was thus 

 decorated. Chief engineer John Mills, however, provided some extra 

 strong tackle, and with it was caught the largest specimen ever recorded 

 from the Tortugas. This was No. 12 of the table, a female 55 inches 

 long and 38 pounds in weight. Some of the incidents of its capture 

 will illustrate the strength and vigor of these powerful fish. 



While trolling one afternoon there came a tremendous strike which 

 nearly pulled me overboard. Responding vigorously, this giant bar- 

 racuda rose some 2 or 3 feet in the air.* The Velella was slowed 

 down and I began pulling the fish in hand over hand as rapidly as 

 possible. Captain Wilson jumped into the glass-bottomed boat, 

 which was towing behind, and began helping me, the fish offering a 

 vigorous resistance all the time, leaping and backing, and dashing from 

 side to side. Finally, when the line had been hauled in fairly short, the 

 fish ran under the skiff, caught Captain Wilson amidships with the 

 line and slewing the boat around nearly threw him overboard; and 

 even when safely slid over the rail into the boat, it threshed and ham- 

 mered around at such a rate that it was feared that it would break 

 the plate glass bottom; nor did it become quiet until it was soundly 

 trounced on the head with a monkey wrench. 



In the matter of the capture of the barracuda I am happy in being 

 able to add further data from a man who can speak with authority, 



*In none of the books and articles consulted in this study of the barracuda have any accounts 

 been found of leaping by this fish save only in Biittikofer's book (1890). He says that on the 

 coast of Liberia . they often leap when in pursuit of smaller fish. My brother, while fishing 

 among the Florida Keys, has had them leap when hooked. 



