This benthopelagic, reef-associated species occurs over rocky bottoms (Sommer et al. 1996). At night, it migrates vertically to the upper part of its habitat to feed on small fishes, shrimps, crabs, amphipods, ascidians and salps (Opic et al. 1994, Anderson and Allen 2001). Its maximum total length is 100 cm (Anderson 1986), but more commonly occurs to 50 cm standard length (Anderson and Allen 2001). Female fork length at first maturity ranges from 36 to 38 cm (Mees 1993).The maximum reported age is 44 years (Andrews et al. 2012).

This pelagic species occurs in oceanic waters. It has a semi-obligate commensalism with large sharks, rays, other fishes, turtles, ships, and driftwood. Juveniles are often associated with seaweeds and jellyfishes. Larvae are epipelagic in ocean waters. Prey items include host's food scraps and small invertebrates. The only available data on maximum age (three years) is based on a few specimens kept in captivity (Reñones et al. 1999). Maximum size attained is 63 cm fork length, but common to 35 cm (Smith-Vaniz 2016).

This pelagic species is found on shallow reefs and deep reefs to the shelf-edge (Feitoza et al. 2005). Juveniles school in shallow waters over sandy, weedy bottoms and in mangroves. Young barracuda will spend their first summer in shallow nursery areas and move offshore to deeper water in late fall. In the second summer, young enter mangrove habitat or deeper weed beds. In its third year, it enters coral reef habitat (de Sylva 1963). Larger adults (>65cm standard length) are usually solitary and found over reef areas and offshore waters. Large schools have been observed and are probably associated with spawning behavior. Its maximum length is 200 cm (Robins and Ray 1986). It feeds mainly on littoral schooling and coral reef fishes, cephalopods, and shrimps (de Sylva 1981, Cervigon 1993). It can reach at least 14 years of age. Males mature by year three, and females by year four. Off Abu Dhabi, the mean age and size at sexual maturity for males was 1.3 years and 56.2 cm and 2.6 years and 80.1 cm for females (Grandcourt et al. 2012). When applying an age at first reproduction of 2.5 years and longevity of 14 years, its estimated generation length is 8.25 years based on the following equation recommended by the IUCN Red List methods: Age at first reproduction + (Age at last reproduction -“ age at first reproduction)/2.

This species forms large inshore schools, usually in shallow waters (Smith-Vaniz 1984). It also occurs over shallow reefs or in turbid water. It can be associated with Whale Sharks (W. Smith-Vaniz pers. comm. 2013). Maximum size is to 27 cm standard length, but is common to ~24 cm fork length (Smith-Vaniz 2002). It feeds mostly at night on large planktonic animals; juveniles feed mostly on crustaceans (euphasiids, decapods) and adults are active predators of fish larvae and early juveniles (Roux and Conand 2000). In Hawaii, size at maturity is <20 cm standard length (Clarke and Privitera 1995). Its life cycle is rapid and short (Roos et al. 2007).

This species schools in open water, occasionally over outer reefs and frequently around islands. It feeds primarily on zooplankton (Cervigón et al. 1992, Smith-Vaniz 1995). The maximum size is 46 cm total length, and is common to about 25 cm fork length (Smith-Vaniz 2002, Jiménez and Béarez 2004). In Japan, the length at 50% maturity of females was estimated at 25.8 cm and age at maturity at two years old (Shiraishi et al. 2010). In Cape Verde, length at first maturity is 22 cm (Monteiro pers. comm. 2012).

This species schools in shallow coastal waters, and is known to enter lagoons, estuaries, and freshwater rivers to feed. Mass shoaling takes place at sea during spawning. It consumes various algae, diatoms, foraminiferans, and detritus associated with sand and mud (Harrison and Senou 1999). The maximum total length is 60 cm (Lieske and Myers 1994). Spawning occurs from February to April in the southern Arabian Gulf, age and size at sexual maturity for males and females are 4.5 years and 38 cm and 4 years and 41.8 cm, respectively, and the maximum age is 9 years (Grandcourt et al. 2010). When applying an age at first reproduction of 4 years and longevity of 9 years, its estimated generation length is 6.5 years based on the following equation recommended by the IUCN Red List methods: Age at first reproduction + (Age at last reproduction -“ age at first reproduction)/2.

This species inhabits shallow, coastal inshore waters in open bays and estuaries (McKay 1984, 2001). It can also occur near reefs and occasionally mangroves. It spawns from mid May to early October and females spawn about six times in one season (Almatar et al. 2004). The maximum total length is 70 cm (Kuiter and Tonozuka 2001).

This is a pelagic, oceanodromous species that forms schools. It is an offshore predator feeding on whatever abundant resource is available with a preference for planktonic crustaceans, small cephalopods, and fish larvae (Mostarda et al. 2007). Its maximum fork length is 50 cm. Longevity is 5 years and maturity occurs around 2 years of age or about 35 cm fork length for both males and females, but this can vary by region (Muthiah 1985, Yesaki and Arce 1994, Niiya 2001a, b, Collette 2010). When applying an age at first reproduction of 5 years and longevity of 2 years, its estimated generation length is 3.5 years based on the following equation recommended by the IUCN Red List methods: Age at first reproduction + (Age at last reproduction -“ age at first reproduction)/2.

This pelagic species primarily occurs on the continental shelf, but can also occur in the open-ocean, and avoids very turbid waters and areas with reduced salinity such as estuaries. It may form schools of varying size. It feeds on a variety of fishes, cephalopods, and crustaceans, particularly stomatopod larvae and prawns. This species probably spawns more than once a year and is reported to be confined to coastal waters (Nishikawa and Ueyanagi 1991). Maximum fork length (FL) is 145 cm. Very few life history studies have been conducted, but in the Indian Ocean, longevity is about 20 years, males and females reach maturity at about 40 cm fork length and age at first maturity is not known (IOTC 2018). In Australia, longevity is estimated to be about 10 years (Wilson 1981), and age at first maturity in Thailand is estimated to be 2 years (Boonragsa 1987). It may live as long as 18 years in the central Indo-Pacific (Griffiths et al. 2009). Natural mortality in a study conducted across Iranian waters was 0.49 year^-1 (Darvishi et al. 2018).

This is a pelagic, oceanodromous species that is also epipelagic in neritic and oceanic waters (Collette 1995). Adults are coastal or near-coastal, while juveniles are more widely spread throughout the ocean. It feeds on small fish, squids, planktonic crustaceans (megalops), and stomatopod larvae. Its maximum fork length is 62 cm. Longevity is approximately 4 years (Muthiah 1985, Yesaki and Arce 1994, Collette 2010). In the southern Indian Ocean, spawning extends from August to April, north of the equator from January to April at sea surface temperatures of 24'°C or higher (Klawe 1963, Collette 2010).