Great Barracuda

Photo: Amy Deacon · CC BY-NC

Great barracuda aggregate in the North Channel in schooling tornados of 200 to 500 individuals, a behavior typical of currents that concentrate baitfish and trigger cooperative herding. The channel's channelized flow creates the precise hydrodynamic conditions that barracuda exploit to minimize swimming effort while maximizing foraging opportunity. Tornados typically form at mid-water in 15 to 20 meters, slowly rotating as individual fish cycle through the school.