One look at a barracuda in its natural environment reveals what makes it such a successful predator on the flats. Aside from their razor sharp teeth and ability to reach impressive speeds in a moments notice, barracuda are also able to blend into their environment extremely well.
Couple that with the intelligence to ambush their prey rather than chase it around, remaining still until the most opportune moment, and you have yourself an apex predator.
That can be a little disheartening to those fishing for bonefish. We hear stories all the time of bonefish lost to stealthy barracuda lurking in the shadows. That’s a bummer.
It’s not all bad though. There is an upside to the barracuda’s ability to blend in. Much like a bonefish, the reflective nature of a barracuda’s scales are largely responsible for its ability to blend in to its surrounding environment. Thus, also much like a bonefish, they can look different depending on their surroundings, color of the bottom, amount of sunlight etc.
What’s so great about that? Well, if you’re having trouble seeing bonefish, knowing exactly what you’re looking for is often the culprit. Spotting a barracuda can give a clue as to what a bonefish will look like on a given flat.
Take note the next time you spot a sneaky barracuda.. The next one could be a bonefish.
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