Barracuda are very elongate, slender, and almost round. Their mouth is large with canine-like teeth with a sharply pointed snout and projecting lower jaw. The color is gray, with a greenish cast above, becoming silvery or whitish below. The tail is yellowish and the dorsal fins are widely spaced. Many irregular, small black blotches on lower side. 18 to 22 diagonal dark bars on upper side (not always evident). The caudal fin is dark with white tips. 75 to 87 lateral line scales. No fleshy tip on jaw.