Species: Synodus poeyi, Offshore Lizardfish

Synodus poeyi Jordan, 1887

Offshore Lizardfish

Body relatively robust; snout long pointed, longer than eye; mouth large, extending well past eye, lower jaw ends in fleshy knob; many rows of fine pointed teeth on jaws, tongue and (in 1 band) 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; anal 10-13 rays; front rays of dorsal fin extend beyond rear rays when fin is pressed down; pelvics on abdomen behind pectoral base, 8 rays, inner rays distinctly longer than outer rays; 7 scale rows between lateral line and base of dorsal fin; 43-50 (rarely 51-52) scales on lateral line; bases of short rays at top and bottom of tail fin completely scaleless.

About 8 roughly diamond-shaped blotches along mid-side, connected to small blotches along the lower flank; no dark spot at top corner of operculum.

Size: 25 cm.

Habitat: demersal on sand and mud bottoms.

Depth: 20-412 m.

North Carolina to central Brazil.