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Sphyraena (barracuda)
Taxonomy
Sphyraena was named by Artedi (1793) [Sepkoski's age data: T Eo-l R Sepkoski's reference number: 2]. It is extant. It was considered monophyletic by Ballen (2019).
It was assigned to Scomberoidei by Agassiz (1835); to Perciformes by Sepkoski (2002); and to Sphyraenidae by Hay (1902), Chapman and Cudmore (1924), de Beaufort (1926), White (1926), Weiler (1938), Casier (1946), Casier (1958), Casier (1966), Schultz (1978), Thurmond and Jones (1981), Steurbaut (1984), Stringer (1998), Weems (1999), Purdy et al. (2001), Schwarzhans (2007), Fierstine et al. (2012), Carnevale et al. (2014), Bannikov (2014), Maisch et al. (2016), Szabo et al. (2017), Carnevale and Godfrey (2018), Ballen (2019), Schwarzhans (2019), Ebersole et al. (2019), Cicimurri et al. (2022), Ebersole et al. (2024), Cicimurri et al. (2025).
It was assigned to Scomberoidei by Agassiz (1835); to Perciformes by Sepkoski (2002); and to Sphyraenidae by Hay (1902), Chapman and Cudmore (1924), de Beaufort (1926), White (1926), Weiler (1938), Casier (1946), Casier (1958), Casier (1966), Schultz (1978), Thurmond and Jones (1981), Steurbaut (1984), Stringer (1998), Weems (1999), Purdy et al. (2001), Schwarzhans (2007), Fierstine et al. (2012), Carnevale et al. (2014), Bannikov (2014), Maisch et al. (2016), Szabo et al. (2017), Carnevale and Godfrey (2018), Ballen (2019), Schwarzhans (2019), Ebersole et al. (2019), Cicimurri et al. (2022), Ebersole et al. (2024), Cicimurri et al. (2025).
Species
S. amici, S. argentea, S. barracuda, S. bognorensis, S. bolcensis (syn. S. gracilis), S. crassidens, S. croatica, S. cunhai, S. egleri, S. fajumensis, S. hansfuchsi, S. intermedia, S. kugleri, S. longimana, S. lugardi, S. major, S. malembeensis, S. muelleri, S. novaehollandiae, S. pannonica, S. senni, S. sternbergensis, S. striata, S. substriata (syn. S. olisiponensis, Saurocephalus inequalis), S. suessi, S. tyrolensis, S. viannai, S. viennensis, S. weberi, S. winkleri
Species lacking formal opinion data
Synonymy list
| Year | Name and author |
|---|---|
| 1793 | Sphyraena Artedi |
| 1835 | Sphyraena Agassiz p. 42ff |
| 1902 | Sphyraena Hay p. 400 |
| 1924 | Sphyraena Chapman and Cudmore p. 146 |
| 1926 | Sphyraena White p. 59 |
| 1926 | Sphyraena de Beaufort p. 133 |
| 1938 | Sphyraena Weiler p. 24 |
| 1946 | Sphyraena Casier p. 169 |
| 1958 | Sphyraena Casier p. 41 |
| 1966 | Sphyraena Casier p. 243 |
| 1978 | Sphyraena Schultz p. 206 |
| 1981 | Sphyraena Thurmond and Jones p. 102 |
| 1984 | Sphyraena Steurbaut p. 97 |
| 1998 | Sphyraena Stringer p. 150 |
| 1999 | Sphyraena Weems p. 64 |
| 2001 | Sphyraena Purdy et al. p. 179 |
| 2002 | Sphyraena Sepkoski |
| 2007 | Sphyraena Schwarzhans p. 338 |
| 2012 | Sphyraena Fierstine et al. p. 144 |
| 2014 | Sphyraena Bannikov p. 29 |
| 2014 | Sphyraena Carnevale et al. p. 44 |
| 2016 | Sphyraena Maisch et al. p. 8 |
| 2017 | Sphyraena Szabo et al. |
| 2018 | Sphyraena Carnevale and Godfrey p. 190 |
| 2019 | Sphyraena Ballen |
| 2019 | Sphyraena Ebersole et al. p. 166 |
| 2019 | Sphyraena Schwarzhans p. 255 |
| 2022 | Sphyraena Cicimurri et al. |
| 2024 | Sphyraena Ebersole et al. p. 13 |
| 2025 | Sphyraena Cicimurri et al. p. 81 |
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If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.
G. Sphyraena Artedi 1793 [barracuda]
show all | hide all
†Sphyraena amici Agassiz 1843
Sphyraena argentea Girard 1854
Sphyraena barracuda Edwards 1771
†Sphyraena bognorensis Casier 1966
†Sphyraena crassidens de Beaufort 1926
†Sphyraena croatica Gorjanović-Kramberger 1882
†Sphyraena cunhai Silva-Santos and Travassos 1960
†Sphyraena egleri Silva-Santos and Travassos 1960
†Sphyraena fajumensis Dames 1883
†Sphyraena hansfuchsi Schubert 1906
†Sphyraena intermedia Bassani 1889
†Sphyraena kugleri Casier 1966
†Sphyraena longimana Arambourg 1966
†Sphyraena lugardi White 1926
†Sphyraena major Leidy 1855
†Sphyraena malembeensis Dartevelle and Casier 1943
†Sphyraena muelleri Schwarzhans 1994
Sphyraena novaehollandiae Günther 1900
†Sphyraena pannonica Weiler 1938
†Sphyraena senni Casier 1966
†Sphyraena sternbergensis Winkler 1975
†Sphyraena striata Casier 1946
†Sphyraena substriata Münster 1846
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Invalid names: Saurocephalus inequalis Münster 1846 [synonym], Sphyraena olisiponensis Jonet 1966 [synonym]
†Sphyraena suessi Gorjanović-Kramberger 1882
†Sphyraena tyrolensis von Meyer 1863
†Sphyraena viannai Dartevelle and Casier 1949
†Sphyraena viennensis Steindachner 1859
†Sphyraena weberi Leriche 1954
†Sphyraena winkleri Lawley 1876
Diagnosis
No diagnoses are available
Measurements
No measurements are available
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| Source: c = class, subp = subphylum | |||||
| Reference: Carroll 1988 | |||||
Age range
Maximum range based only on fossils: base of the Late/Upper Maastrichtian to the top of the Holocene or 72.20000 to 0.00000 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 66.0 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 66.0 Ma
Collections (100 total)
| Time interval | Ma | Country or state | Original ID and collection number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Late/Upper Maastrichtian | India (Maharashtra) | Sphyraena sp. (58102) | |
| Ypresian | Italy | Sphyraena bolcensis (94830) | |
| Ypresian | India (Gujarat) | Sphyraena sp. (71438) | |
| Ypresian | United Kingdom (England) | Sphyraena bognorensis (8050 13299) | |
| Ypresian | Belgium | Sphyraena sp., Sphyraena striata (219001) | |
| Ypresian - Lutetian | USA (Alabama) | Sphyraena sp. (81179 209524) | |
| Early/Lower Eocene - Middle Eocene | United Kingdom (England) | Sphyraena sp. (3257) | |
| Eocene | Pakistan | Sphyraena sp. (79971) | |
| Wasatchian | USA (Virginia) | Sphyraena bognorensis (15595) | |
| Lutetian | USA (Alabama) | Sphyraena sp. (13346 209368 209521 209522) | |
| Lutetian | Germany (Lower Saxony,) | Sphyraena fluctuosa (188954) | |
| Lutetian | USA (Texas) | Sphyraena sp. (209371) | |
| Lutetian | Nigeria | Sphyraena lugardi (60711) | |
| Lutetian | Ukraine | Sphyraena sp. (211009) | |
| Bartonian | USA (Alabama) | Sphyraena sp. (81266 176944 209520) | |
| Bartonian | Nigeria | Sphyraena lugardi (32905) | |
| Bartonian | USA (Louisiana) | Sphyraena major (3534) | |
| Bartonian | USA (Mississippi) | Sphyraena major (61249) | |
| Late/Upper Eocene | Barbados | Sphyraena sp., Sphyraena kugleri, Sphyraena senni (220735) | |
| Priabonian | USA (Arkansas) | Sphyraena sp. (16549) | |
| Priabonian | USA (Louisiana) | Sphyraena major (55251 75638) Sphyraena sp. (32925) | |
| Priabonian | Barbados | Sphyraena kugleri (220747) Sphyraena senni (220738) Sphyraena sp. (205153 220741 220742) Sphyraena sp., Sphyraena kugleri (220740 220745) | |
| Priabonian | Western Sahara | Sphyraena sp. (96686 96688) | |
| Priabonian | USA (Georgia) | Sphyraena sp. (45640) | |
| Early/Lower Oligocene | France | Sphyraena sp. (69805) | |
| Rupelian | Hungary | Sphyraena pannonica (124377) | |
| Rupelian | USA (Alabama) | Sphyraena sp. (235364) | |
| Rupelian | USA (South Carolina) | Sphyraena sp. (60444 224900) | |
| Rupelian | Germany (Baden-Württemberg) | Sphyraena sp. (68021) | |
| Whitneyan | USA (Florida) | Sphyraena sp. (17341) | |
| Chattian | Germany (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) | Sphyraena sp. (32012) | |
| Chattian | USA (Mississippi) | Sphyraena sp. (49872 133111) | |
| Aquitanian | Hungary (Esztergom) | Sphyraena sp. (186636) | |
| Early/Lower Miocene | India (Gujarat) | Sphyraena sp. (65798) | |
| Early/Lower Miocene | Costa Rica | Sphyraena sp. (187875) | |
| Early/Lower Miocene | Brazil (Para) | Sphyraena cunhai, Sphyraena egleri (65162) | |
| Early/Lower Miocene | Indonesia (Maros) | Sphyraena crassidens (187654) | |
| Early/Lower Miocene | Brazil | Sphyraena cunhai (112581) | |
| Aquitanian - Langhian | USA (North Carolina) | Sphyraena barracuda (48887) | |
| Burdigalian | Venezuela (Lara) | Sphyraena sp. (145379) | |
| Burdigalian | Colombia (La Guajira) | Sphyraena sp. (157343 163055) | |
| Burdigalian | Saudi Arabia | Sphyraena sp. (47026) | |
| Burdigalian | Italy | Sphyraena sp. (70814) | |
| Burdigalian | Pakistan (Balochistan) | Sphyraena sp. (77783) | |
| Burdigalian - Tortonian | France | Sphyraena olisiponensis (187577) | |
| Early/Lower Barstovian | USA (Florida) | Sphyraena sp. (18538) | |
| Langhian | France | Sphyraena sp. (90354) | |
| Langhian | Colombia (La Guajira) | Sphyraena sp. (156515) | |
| Langhian | Mexico (Baja California) | Sphyraena sp., Sphyraena barracuda (52183) | |
| Langhian | USA (Virginia) | Sphyraena barracuda (79793) | |
| MN 5 | Austria | Sphyraena sp. (51002) | |
| Middle Miocene | India (Orissa) | Sphyraena obtusata (46365) | |
| Badenian | Poland | Sphyraena substriata (162017) | |
| Badenian | Czechia (Mikulov) | Sphyraena sphyraena, Sphyraena substriata (161993) Sphyraena substriata (161995) | |
| Serravallian | USA (Virginia) | Sphyraena barracuda (126605 187324) | |
| Serravallian | Slovakia (Bratislava) | Sphyraena sp. (58983) | |
| Early/Lower Clarendonian | USA (Florida) | Sphyraena sp. (161374) | |
| Tortonian | Panama | Sphyraena barracuda (24237) | |
| Tortonian | Venezuela | Sphyraena sp. (200110) | |
| Tortonian | USA (Virginia) | Sphyraena barracuda (152251) | |
| Late/Upper Miocene | Costa Rica (Limon) | Sphyraena barracuda (162678) | |
| Late/Upper Miocene | Portugal | Sphyraena olisiponenesis (56459) | |
| Early/Lower Pliocene | USA (Florida) | Sphyraena sp. (151681) | |
| Zanclean | USA (North Carolina) | Sphyraena barracuda (52582) | |
| Zanclean | USA (Florida) | Sphyraena barracuda (46369) | |
| Pliocene | Angola | Sphyraena barracuda (154111) | |
| Pliocene | Jamaica | Sphyraena sp. (186673) | |
| Opoitian - Mangapanian | New Zealand (North Island) | Sphyraena sp. (219628) | |
| Pleistocene | Australia (Victoria) | Sphyraena novaehollandiae (204328) | |
| Irvingtonian | USA (Florida) | Sphyraena barracuda (20400) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | USA (Virginia) | Sphyraena sp. (57706 73485) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | USA (South Carolina) | Sphyraena sp. (188304) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | USA (California) | Sphyraena argentea (59063 190889) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene (interglacial) | USA (Georgia) | Sphyraena sp. (20604) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene - Holocene | Greece (Argolida) | Sphyraena sphyraena (182709) | |
| Holocene | Turks and Caicos Islands | Sphyraena sp., Sphyraena barracuda (209855) | |
| Holocene | USA (California) | Sphyraena argentea (239418) |