Pelagic fish
Chevron barracuda
Sphyraena qenie
A schooling barracuda that forms dense, slow-rotating columns on reef corners in current — a different animal from the solitary great barracuda divers meet on shallow reef. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Maratua's atoll channel holds one of the larger reported schools in Southeast Asia.
- Max size
- To about 1.4m
- Habitat
- Reef channels, drop-offs and current-swept corners
Best places to dive with Chevron barracuda
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Schooling barracuda are one of the consistent draws on the Brunei and Labuan hulls, reported hanging over the superstructures and drifting in from open water. Coded resident because sources describe them as a standing feature of the wrecks rather than a seasonal event; school size is not documented.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Schools are reported year-round at the mouth of the Maratua channel and are most reliable when tidal flow is running. Operator accounts describe the aggregation as among the largest in the region; no published count exists, so treat the size claim as unverified.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Schools of chevron (blackfin) barracuda are reported year-round at Balicasag, most often at Black Forest and Divers Heaven, frequently in the same water as the trevally school. Numbers vary and the school sometimes sits deep on the slope.
Sources & last checked
Checked August 2026
This is a researched draft, not yet human-verified. The seasonality and logistics are drawn from the sources below — confirm specifics (permits, fees, closures) with an operator before you book.
- Best Scuba Diving in Brunei — Scuba Diver Life
- Diving in Brunei - Discover The Historical Shipwrecks — Poni Divers