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How to catch Arrow barracuda

Sphyraena novaehollandiae Günther, 1860

About Arrow barracuda fishing

The Australian barracuda belongs to the barracuda family Sphyraenidae, featuring a remarkably slender, elongated body, a conical snout, and a protruding lower jaw armed with sharp, fang-like teeth. Its back displays a greenish tone that transitions to silvery flanks and a pale belly, complemented by greenish-yellow fins. Growing up to a metre in total length, this pelagic-neritic predator inhabits coastal marine waters down to fifty metres. It prefers cool inshore areas, frequently congregating in large shoals over seagrass beds, sandy patches, and reef margins. As an opportunistic ambush and pursuit hunter, it feeds on small schooling fish, squids, and crustaceans. Highly mobile and migratory, it draws strong interest from recreational anglers seeking an aggressive sport fish.

  • Difficulty

    Medium

  • Average size

    60 cm

  • Market value

    Medium

  • Habitat

    Saltwater

  • Season

    Spring, Autumn, Winter

  • Also known as

    Australian barracuda, Australian sea pike, Pike, Sea pike, Seapike, Shortfin barracuda

Arrow barracuda

Short snout

Comparatively short snout length helps distinguish this barracuda species.

Unmarked body

Lateral body surface without distinct stripes and bands.

Yellowish-gray caudal fin

The yellowish-gray tail fin distinguishes it from similar species.

Arrow barracuda fishing facts

Characteristics

  • Typical size

    60 cm (max 100 cm TL )

  • Typical weight

    1 kg (max 3.4 kg )

  • Preferred temperature

    15–25.4 °C

  • Depth

    0–50 m

  • Longevity

    20 years

  • Body shape

    Elongated

  • Commercial?

  • Vulnerability score

    55.9

Best hours

  • Dawn

    First light

    Peak

  • Morning

    After sunrise

    Active

  • Midday

    High sun

    Low

  • Afternoon

    Late day

    Low

  • Dusk

    Last light

    Peak

  • Night

    After dark

    Active

When to fish for Arrow barracuda

01
January
02
February
03
March
04
April
05
May
06
June
07
July
08
August
09
September
10 Now
October
11
November
12
December

How to catch Arrow barracuda

Tips for catching Arrow barracuda

Anglers target this slender inshore predator by working shallow bays, estuary mouths, jetties, and weed beds where schooling baitfish congregate. Because these fish often lurk within or just above seagrass fronds during daylight and move toward the surface or edges during evening hours, matching the light conditions is essential for success. Casting sleek metal spoons, slim minnow plugs, or soft plastics with an erratic retrieve triggers aggressive strikes from roaming packs. Alternatively, suspending natural fish strips or small whole baits beneath a sliding float near weed edges works effectively when fish hold deeper or refuse artificial presentations. Care must be taken when handling captured specimens due to their exceptionally sharp teeth and delicate jaw structures.

Other names for Arrow barracuda

Local and alternate names anglers use for Arrow barracuda.

  • Short-fin pike
  • Short-finned pike
  • Arrow barracuda
  • Shortfin pike
  • Snook
  • Striped barracuda
  • Pike
  • Short-finned sea-pike
  • Australian barracuda
  • Australian sea pike
  • Short-finned sea pike
  • Short-finned seapike
  • Sea pike
  • Short-finned seaspike
  • Seapike
  • Shortfin barracuda
  • Yellowtail

Best equipment to catch Arrow barracuda

Compare fishing methods for Arrow barracuda — sized kit for each technique.

Note: Typical fish is 1 kg Our algorithm will suggest the best equipment for you based on this weight.

Best lures and baits for Arrow barracuda

Ranked lures and natural baits from every method, best first.

How Arrow barracuda migrates — Inshore–offshore

Shifts between shallow inshore water and deeper offshore grounds with the season.

How Arrow barracuda migrates — Inshore–offshore 1. Warm months: Stay close inshore through the warm months. 2. Cold months: Move offshore into deeper water as it cools.
Inshore Offshore

1 Warm months

Inshore

Stay close inshore through the warm months.

2 Cold months

Offshore

Move offshore into deeper water as it cools.

Hover or tap a number to read each stage.

Diet and behavior of Arrow barracuda

  • Diet

    Top predator

  • Feeds by

    Hunts animals

  • Hunts

    Dawn · Dusk

  • Feeds over

    Seagrass

  • Main prey

    Baitfish

Prey and predators of Arrow barracuda

Prey is what Arrow barracuda eats. Predators are the animals that eat it.

That is how it feeds, and how it is hunted.

Prey

What it eats

Baitfish

  • Engraulis australis juv./adults

Where Arrow barracuda lives

Pelagic over the continental shelf — coastal open water, not the deep ocean.

Habitats
Saltwater
Depth zone
Epipelagic
Sunlight · 0–50 m
Water column
Open water
Does not use the seabed

Where this species lives