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Guachanche barracuda

species of fish

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Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionMay 19, 2026
Entity authorityQ2616519 ↗
Source-derived summary

The Guachanche barracuda (Sphyraena guachancho) is an ocean-going species of game fish in the barracuda family, Sphyraenidae. It was described by the French zoologist Georges Cuvier in 1829. The description was part of the second edition of Le Règne Animal, or The Animal Kingdom. Guachanche barracuda are also known simply as guaguanche throughout much of the Caribbean. When used for food, Guaguanche barracuda are usually sold fresh or salted.

Description

Guachanche barracuda, like other members of the family Sphyraenidae, possess elongated bodies, pike-like heads, and large jaws. The lower jaw protrudes slightly from the upper jaw, both of which contain fang-like teeth. They have two dorsal fins, which are widely separated on their backs. The anterior dorsal fin usually possesses spines, while the posterior only has rays. Guachanche barracuda have six dorsal spines and 9 rays on their dorsal fins, while they have only two spines and eight rays on their anal fins.

Editorial summary

This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Guachanche barracuda” as species of fish. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.

Editorial reviewA sound reference starting point where classification, measurement and the date of the underlying evidence remain visible. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1829—that can be checked directly. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. The account is most persuasive where Guachanche, barracuda and species can be independently traced.
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Why this record matters

The subject matters to the science & nature register because the source frames it as species of fish. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.

Evidence profile

Stable identifiers, scientific names and standards terminology offer the best bridge between this overview and specialist evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 19, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2616519. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1829.

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A general summary may omit uncertainty, sample limits or methodological disagreement that is explicit in the technical record. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Guachanche barracuda” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.