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Species: Synodus saurus, Atlantic lizardfish, Bluestripe lizardfish

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body - blue & orange stripes
LL 57-60
LL to D- 3 rows scales

Synodus saurus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Atlantic lizardfish, Bluestripe lizardfish

Body relatively robust; snout long pointed, longer than eye; mouth large, extending well past eye; no fleshy knob on tip of chin; 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; pelvics on abdomen behind pectoral base, 8 rays, inner rays distinctly longer than outer rays; 57-60 lateral line scales; 3 rows of scales between dorsal fin and lateral line; bases of short rays at top and bottom of tail fin completely scaleless.

A series of wavy dark bars on back extend down below the midline; blue and salmon lines along body; no dark spot at top corner of gill cover.

Size: 40 cm.

Habitat: demersal on mud or sand bottoms.   

Depth: 1-400 m; usually < 20 m.

Both sides of the Atlantic, and into the Mediterranean; S Carolina to Panama.


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Salinity
  • Marine Only
  • Marine
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Sand & gravel
  • Soft bottom only
  • Mud
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
FishBase Habitat
  • Demersal
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Data
  • Carnivore
Diet
  • Data
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
  • Bony fishes
Egg Type
  • Pelagic larva
  • Data
  • Pelagic
Global Endemism
  • Greater Caribbean non-endemic
  • All species.
  • Transatlantic (East+West Atlantic)
Regional Endemism
  • Island (s) only
  • GC non-endemic
  • Island (s)
  • All species..
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
IUCN Red List
  • Listed
  • Least concern
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 40
Depth Range Min
  • 1
Depth Range Max
  • 400