The New Zealander Shane Paterson is one of the few marine biologists studying the barracuda, a predator found in all of the world's oceans.
Much folklore surrounds the barracuda.
Most of this originates from fishermen, who were the main source of information on the fish until Paterson began his investigations. He has disproved the claim by filming the two species on the same reefs, both in the Atlantic and in the Pacific waters of Papua New Guinea. Among the 20 species of barracuda, a surprising diversity of behaviour can be observed, depending on where they live. The most common, the great barracuda, lives a solitary existence. It has few predators.