Kritzberg

Item #: SCP-XXXX

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-XXXX is to be contained in a 20 meter long by 20 meter wide by 10 meter deep tank of salt water fit for common oceanic life. The walls of this tank are to be made of heat and shock-resistant laminated glass. SCP-XXXX's tank is to constantly be monitored by video surveillance, as well as thoroughly checked once a day to check for any damage to the tank.

Description: SCP-XXXX is the collective designation for a species of saltwater fish of the family Sphyraenidae, more commonly known as Barracuda. Members of SCP-XXXX closely resemble other members of the barracuda family, measuring between 1 and 1.5 meters and weighing approximately 9 kilograms. The external features that differentiate SCP-XXXX from other similar fish are a large distended pouch protruding from the belly of the fish and what appear to be a secondary set of rear-facing gills protruding from either side of the body directly above the anal fin.

The anomalous properties of SCP-XXXX become apparent upon inspection of the internal anatomy of a member of the species. Members of SCP-XXXX lack a traditional respiratory or digestive system, with the gills and mouth instead feeding into a cavernous organ, resembling a heart. Through an unknown mechanism, water that enters this organ is separated into gaseous hydrogen and oxygen. Other materials are removed through the excretory system, while gaseous hydrogen and oxygen are fed through a valve into a flexible cartilaginous sac within the body of the fish. When the hydrogen and oxygen mixture is fed into this sac, an electrical discharge within the organ ignites this mixture. This leads to the expansion of the sac, and expulsion of the heated gas through a cavernous organ. This heated gas is then expelled through the gill shaped vents on the rear of the fish. This expulsion does not provide an observable aid to the forward movement of the fish, instead this reaction directly provides energy allowing for traditional movement through the use of muscle tissue to manipulate the fins.

The exact mechanism by which water is separated into its gaseous components, and by which the energy resulting from the expanding gas is transformed into usable energy is unknown. Dissection has shown that the interior of both organs within the system are lined entirely with cilia, but the exact mechanism by which these phenomena are produced is not apparent. Other body systems, such as the circulatory and reproductive systems, exist and operate in an identical manner to non-anomalous barracuda.

While SCP-XXXX does not observably use its expulsion of heated gas for self-defense or predatory behavior, close proximity to this expulsion can lead to painful third-degree burns in large animals. In smaller marine life, the force and heat of this expulsion can be lethal. The gasses expelled from SCP-XXXX are heated to temperatures exceeding 2000 °C, leading to the water into which it is expelled to instantly become gaseous.

This expansion within the body does not seem to be harmful in any way to members of SCP-XXXX, although some young examples of SCP-XXXX have been observed to detonate from the forces present within their bodies during the reaction. This phenomenon leads to the explosion of muscle tissue and viscera downward from the fish, and seemingly instant death within the affected member. This phenomenon has been observed rarely in mature fish, mostly resulting from some form of injury sustained from an outside force weakening the tissues that would normally contain the explosion.

Discovery Log: SCP-XXXX came to the attention of the foundation after reports of serious burns were reported among beach-goers along the shore of Key West, Florida during the summer of 2004. Following these reports, a foundation investigation was undertaken under the guise of an EPA marine life preservation operation. Upon investigation of the waters in the surrounding area, multiple members of SCP-XXXX were observed expelling heated gas into the waters surrounding a Beach side resort in the area. All waters surrounding the city were cordoned off under the guise of a jellyfish migration, and all observed instances of SCP-XXXX were captured by foundation personnel.