Barracuda
Barracuda are predatory fish inhabiting tropical and subtropical coral reefs, rocky areas and nearshore environments. Despite their impressive appearance and hunting prowess, barracudas are pursued as game fish, though they have little commercial value. For West Africans, these fish are considered a delicacy and are often smoked for use in soups and sauces.
| Species | fish (ray-finned) |
| No. Appearing | 4–10 |
| Behaviour | parasocial |
| Range | coral reef |
| Size | 4 to 6 ft. long |
| Weight | 50 to 85 lbs. |
| Intelligence | 0 |
| Armour Class | 6 |
| Hit Dice | 1 to 3 |
| Action Points | 6 |
| Max. Stride | 20 |
| THAC0 | 19 to 20 |
| Hp/Die | d4 or d6 |
| Attack Forms | 1: jaws |
| Damage | jaws (2–8) |
| Special Attacks | initiative |
Behaviour
As agile swimmers, barracuda tend to stay near the water's surface, showing a particular fondness for sea grass beds. Some venture into the open ocean, where they can be seen patrolling around structures such as floating debris or patches of seaweed.
Barracuda are known for their aggressive hunting tactics. While they generally pose little danger to swimmers, they may become aggressive if approached too closely or touched, even if unintentionally. When hunting, barracuda gather and form a circle around their prey, maintaining a distance of approximately 30 feet. Thereafter, each takes its turn to strike at their target with lightning speed. If any of these strikes fails to produce a wound or a kill, however, the group disperses and seeks easier prey elsewhere.
Advantage
Initiative. Apart from their natural speed, the narrow shape of the barracuda increases their chance of striking prey first, giving them a +4 bonus on their initiative die roll.
See Bestiary
