Lizardfish

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Lizardfish
Synodus variegatus

Synodus variegatus

Systematics
Subclass : Real bony fish (Teleostei)
Overcohort : Clupeocephala
Cohort : Euteleosteomorpha
Sub-cohort : Neoteleostei
Order : Lizardfish (Aulopiformes)
Family : Lizardfish
Scientific name
Synodontidae
Gill , 1862

The lizardfish (Synodontidae) are a family of bottom-dwelling small predatory fish. The majority of the species live on sandy bottoms in flat, tropical regions of all three oceans, some also in brackish water .

Appearance

Lizardfish are slender, elongated in shape. They have no fin spines and are 12 to 50 centimeters long. The predators have a deeply split mouth with many fine, very sharp teeth also on the tongue. The number of Branchiostegal rays is 8 to 26, those of the vertebrae 39 to 67. The supramaxillary, a bone of the upper jaw, is small. The lizardfish from deeper ocean areas are often bright red in color, fish from the shallow water are sand-colored for camouflage, often with a pattern that dissolves their shape.

nutrition

Lizardfish lie in wait , or buried in the sandy bottom or between coral breaks for their prey, which can consist of small fish such as damselfish , gobies , wrasse but also shrimp or squid . They snap for prey up to their own size.

Multiplication

Not much is known about the reproduction of the lizardfish. In contrast to many other lizardfish relatives , they are not hermaphrodites , but of separate sexes. They spawn in open water. The transparent larvae that hatch after two to three days are extremely elongated. At first they live in planktonic form and, when they reach a size of 3 to 3.5 centimeters, they take on the bottom life of the adults.

Internal system

There are two subfamilies, five genera and over 70 species :

Subfamily Synodontinae

Synodus capricornis
Synodus foetens
Synodus intermedius
Synodus poeyi
Synodus saurus
Trachinocephalus trachinus

In the species of the Synodontinae subfamily, the pelvic fins are supported by eight fin rays. The dorsal fin has 10 to 15 rays, the anal fin 8 to 16 rays. An adipose fin is usually present. The scales along the sideline are not enlarged. The maximum length is 60 cm.

Subfamily Harpadontinae

The species of the subfamily Harpadontinae occur only in the Indo-Pacific . Their heads are less pointed than in the subfamily Synodontinae and they have more teeth. Your pelvic fins are supported by nine fin rays. The dorsal and anal fins have 9 to 15 fin rays. In the secondary pelagic genus Harpadon , which also migrates in brackish water regions, the head and body, with the exception of part of the rear body and the scales along the sidelines, are scaly. Harpadon has one, Saurida two supramaxillaries.

Harpadon nehereus
Saurida caribbaea
Head of Saurida normani
Saurida undosquamis

literature

Web links

Commons : Lizardfish  - Collection of images, videos and audio files