Species: Synodus macrostigmus, Largespot Lizardfish

Synodus macrostigmus Frable et al, 2013

Largespot Lizardfish

Body relatively robust; snout long, blunt when viewed from above, longer than eye; eye relatively large (20.8 (16.7-24.7%) headlength); width between eyes 9.5-15.3% head; flap on front nostril large, leaf-shaped, long, (3.8 (2.7-4.9%) headlength), tapering, extends past rear nostril when depressed; mouth large, extending well past eye; lower jaw rounded at front, without fleshy knob at tip; 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; dorsal fin 11-12, fairly low, front rays of fin don’t extend beyond back rays when fin is laid down; anal 11, length of anal fin base < than dorsal fin base; pectoral fin 11-12; pelvics on abdomen behind pectoral base, 8 rays, inner rays distinctly longer than outer rays; 45-48 scales on lateral line; scales before dorsal fin 12-13; scales between the lateral line and dorsal fin base 3.5; bases of short rays at top and bottom of tail fin completely scaleless.

Body with 6-8 brown bars, some like wide Xs that reach up to the top of the back; thin orange-yellow lines along upper body; groove above top jaw black from under eye backwards; black blotch on shoulder at top corner of gill cover oval, large (14.2-19% head); pelvic fins bright yellow; anal fin yellow; tail fin with notch of fork & rear of lower lobe dark grey to brown, upper lobe pale, with thin rear dark edge, 2-3 short brown bars on the short rays at its base.

Size: 25.6 cm.

Habitat: sand & mud bottoms.

Depth: 28-194 m.

South Carolina to the Gulf of Mexico.