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Species: Saurida brasiliensis, Brazilian Lizardfish, Largescale Lizardfish

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back: several dark saddles
lower jaw longer, visible from above
LL 43-47

Saurida brasiliensis Norman, 1935

Largescale Lizardfish, Brazilian Lizardfish

Body slender, elongate, cylindrical; head pointed; eye large; snout about as long as eye; mouth large, slightly oblique, at front, lower jaw longer than upper jaw, visible from above when mouth is closed; many rows fine pointed teeth on jaws, tongue and (in 2 bands) on side of roof of mouth; fins without spines; one dorsal fin in mid-body, with a small skin-flap fin behind it above anal fin; pelvics on abdomen behind pectoral base, with 9 rays, inner rays about same length as outer rays; scales smooth; lateral line straight, along entire body; tail fin with scales on bases of main rays but not on short rays on top and bottom of fin base; 43-47 lateral line scales; 3 rows of scales between lateral line and dorsal fin.

Upper body brown, with several indistinct dark saddles; dorsal fin with a dark stripe in from outer margin; juveniles with 10 large black spots on lower side and an elongate black blotch at upper corner of operculum.

Reaches 17 cm.

Lives on offshore softbottoms.

Depth range: 10-613 m.

N Carolina to S Brazil; also off W Africa.


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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Sand & gravel
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Soft bottom only
  • Mud
FishBase Habitat
  • Demersal
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Data
  • Bony fishes
Egg Type
  • Data
  • Pelagic
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • All species
  • Greater Caribbean non-endemic
  • West Atlantic Endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Also in Brazil
  • Continent
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • Continental primarily
  • Extends N + S of GC
  • Extends North of GC
  • Extends South of GC
  • GC non-endemic
  • Island (s)
  • All species
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
  • Temperate (>35N)
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
IUCN Red List
  • Least concern
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 17
Depth Range Min
  • 10
Depth Range Max
  • 613