TITLE:
Overview of Fossil Barracudas (Sphyraenidae) from the Cenozoic Strata in Japan, and Associated Global Climate Events
AUTHORS:
Shunji Furukuma
KEYWORDS:
Barracuda, Sphyraena, Cenozoic Strata, Japan, Global Climate Event
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Geology,
Vol.15 No.11,
November
14,
2025
ABSTRACT: This study provides an overview of “barracuda” (sphyraenid teleost) remains recovered from the Cenozoic strata of Japan, and explores their potential linkages to global climatic events. Fossil evidence of barracudas has been reported from multiple stratigraphic units on Honshu Island, including the Middle and Late Miocene, Early Pleistocene, and Holocene. The stratigraphic ages of these fossil occurrences correspond closely with the timing of major global climatic events. The distributional shifts and persistence of barracuda through multiple climatic episodes provide valuable insights into their ecological plasticity under changing environmental conditions. Incorporating scientific data from non-English-language sources significantly enhances our understanding of biodiversity patterns, not only in extant organisms but also in extinct organisms. Such historical perspectives are essential for constructing the evolutionary and biogeographic responses of epipelagic fishes and marine megafauna to climate-driven oceanographic changes.