Arctozenus Dolichosudis Lestidiops Lestidium Lestrolepis Macroparalepis Magnisudis Notolepis Paralepis Stemonosudis Sudis Uncisudis †Holosteus †Drimys Barracudinas are any member of the marine mesopelagic fish family Paralepididae: 50 or so extant species are found almost worldwide in deep waters.
The smaller, more derived species of barracudinas in the genera Lestidiops, Lestidium, Lestrolepis and Stemonosudis possess very few scales and their skin is almost completely transparent, making it difficult for them to be seen underwater.
While they are rarely caught by fisheries, they are frequently documented in the guts of pelagic predators such as tuna, swordfish, lancetfish, Cuvier's beaked whales, and blue sharks.
[2] First-hand accounts from the Bathyscaphe Trieste reported behavioral observations of Lestrolepis intermedia rapidly swimming vertically through the water column like "silvery javelins" glowing "a brilliant yellow" from their bioluminescent organs.
While specific life histories differ among species and genera, postlarval barracudina size classes are found more frequently within proximity to continental shelf escarpments at certain times of the year.