Species: Synodus saurus, Atlantic lizardfish, Bluestripe lizardfish


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.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine Only
- Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Habitat
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- 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
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- Demersal
- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Data
- Carnivore
- Diet
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- Data
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
- Bony fishes
- Egg Type
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- Pelagic larva
- Data
- Pelagic
- Global Endemism
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- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- All species.
- Transatlantic (East+West Atlantic)
- Regional Endemism
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- Island (s) only
- GC non-endemic
- Island (s)
- All species..
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 40
- Depth Range Min
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- 1
- Depth Range Max
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- 400