Description: A small to medium-sized fish, with an elongate cylindrical body. Head short, depressed, and rugose on top. Has strong jaws with numerous teeth. A single dorsal fin with only soft rays located at about mid-body, behind the insertion of the pelvic fins, and a small adipose fin located above the anal fins. Caudal fin deeply forked. Grey with four large red or brown saddle-like blotches on the sides, in addition to other geometrical markings, and a small black spot on the tip of the snout. It is easily distinguished from the Atlantic lizardfish Synodus saurus due to its darker, patterned colouration.
Global Distribution: Eastern and Western Atlantic, in inshore waters, including islands. View Map
Behavioural ecology: They spend most of the time lying immobile on the bottom, where they go unnoticed due to their mimetic colouration.
Population structure & migrations:
ECOLOGICAL FEATURES
Depth range: FishBase: ? - 144 m, usually 2 - 35 m.
Habitat: Primarily found in shallow inshore waters; rests on hard surfaces rather than on sand. Also occurs in reef areas, but ventures into open shelf water as deep as 90 m.
Feeding habits: Feeds on crustaceans and fishes, often of considerable size.
Trophic level: FishBase: 4.2
FISHERIES
Commercial interest: Minor commercial species. Caught with several types of artisanal gear.
Conservation status: Global: Not evaluated.
Europe: Least concern.
Nutritional information & food safety:
REFERENCES
Anderson W.W., Gehringer J.W., Berry F.H. (1966). Field Guide to the Synodontidae (Lizardfishes) of the Western Atlantic Ocean. United States Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Commercial Fisheries.
Direcção Regional de Pescas, Madeira.
Fischer W., Bianchi G., Scott W.B., eds. (1981). FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Eastern Central Atlantic; fishing areas 34, 47 (in part). Canada Funds-in-Trust. Ottawa, Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, by arrangement with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, vol. 4, 316 pp.
González J., Hernández C., Marrero P., Rapp E. (2000). Peces de Canarias: GuÃa Submarina (5th edition). Francisco Lemus Editor, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canarias, Spain, 235 pp.
Hureau J.-C., ed. (1984-1985). Fishes of the North-Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. UNESCO. Accessed through: Marine Species Identification Portal. World Wide Web electronic publication. http://species-identification.org (2014).
IUCN (2014). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.1. www.iucnredlist.org
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Pereira J.N., Simas A., Rosa A., Aranha A., Lino S., Constantino E., Monteiro V., Tariche O., Menezes G. (2012). Weight–length relationships for 27 demersal fish species caught off the Cape Verde archipelago (eastern North Atlantic). Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 28(1): 156-159.
