Synodus foetens, Inshore lizardfish : fisheries, gamefish

You can sponsor this page

Synodus foetens (Linnaeus, 1766)

Inshore lizardfish
Add your observation in Fish Watcher
Native range | All suitable habitat | Point map | Year 2050
This map was computer-generated and has not yet been reviewed.
Synodus foetens   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
Upload your photos and videos
Pictures | Google image
Image of Synodus foetens (Inshore lizardfish)
Synodus foetens
Picture by IGFA

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Aulopiformes (Grinners) > Synodontidae (Lizardfishes) > Synodontinae
Etymology: Synodus: Greek, syn, symphysis = grown together + Greek, odous = teeth (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Linnaeus.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; brackish; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 200 m (Ref. 9710). Tropical; 25°C - 35°C (Ref. 39158); 43°N - 29°S, 98°W - 34°W

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Western Atlantic: Massachusetts, USA and northern Gulf of Mexico to Brazil.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm 19.0  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 53.8 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 102462); common length : 30.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5217); max. published weight: 900.00 g (Ref. 40637)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10-13; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 11 - 13; Vertebrae: 56 - 62. Body elongate, cylindrical; head depressed, broader than deep, slightly rugose above, interorbital space concave; snout triangular, pointed, projecting beyond tip of mandible, typically longer than diameter of eye in specimens larger than 20.0 cm SL; 6-7 oblique rows of scales present on cheeks; top of head naked. Mouth very large, gape extends well past eye; upper jaw projects slightly, premaxillaries form entire margin of upper jaw; large, sharp depressible teeth present on upper jaw, tongue and lower pharyngeals. Scales small (except for patch of large elongate scales present below pectoral base and above pelvic base), lateral line well marked, not keeled. Dorsal fin origin equidistant form center of eye and adipose fin, anterior rays not reaching past tips of posterior rays with fin depressed; anal fin base longer than or equal to dorsal base, origin equidistant form end of dorsal base and base of caudal rays; caudal fin not or barely reaching origin of pelvic fin; pelvic fins inserted closer to vent than to snout tip; inner ray of pelvic much longer than outer ray (Ref. 13608); adipose fin base no longer than diameter of pupil. Anterior nares with prominent dermal flap. Gill rakers rudimentary. Branchiostegals: 12-16 (Ref. 4639). Pigmentation: Color variable with both locality and immediate background; dorsum brownish or olivaceous and with overall greenish cast; mid-lateral line with about 8 obscure blotches, variable in occurrence and intensity, fading wit growth; head brownish with light vermiculations on top and sides, pale yellow below; belly white, silvery white, or yellowish, sometimes with brownish punctuations; pectorals dusky, yellowish, or light green; adipose with dark spot posteriorly.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Adults are found on both shallow and deep sand flats among grass (Ref. 12342, 39154, 39155), inshore in saltwater creeks, rivers, bays, sounds (Ref. 39156), and deep channels within lagoons (Ref. 39155). Probably more dense over mud than shell or calcareous bottom (Ref. 39157). Also found in open ocean over continental shelf (Ref. 4639). A solitary (Ref. 26340) voracious predator that lurks in shallow bays and shore waters; burrows in bottom sediments. Juveniles are pelagic, and readily collected from open ocean, usually near land in vicinity of or in shallow water (Ref. 4639). Mostly piscivorous, also includes shrimps, crabs and cephalopodes (Ref. 93252). Oviparous, newly hatched larvae are found near the surface at depths from 27 to 46 m (Ref. 39159). Salinity range 4.0-60.0 ppt (may include juveniles), more abundant above 10.0 ppt and 30.0 ppt (Ref. 39158, 39162, 39050). Commonly caught by anglers but considered a nuisance.

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Robins, C.R. and G.C. Ray, 1986. A field guide to Atlantic coast fishes of North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, U.S.A. 354 p. (Ref. 7251)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 29 January 2013

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: subsistence fisheries; gamefish: yes
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource | Sea Around Us

More information

Countries
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
Introductions
Stocks
Ecology
Diet
Food items
Food consumption
Ration
Common names
Synonyms
Metabolism
Predators
Ecotoxicology
Reproduction
Maturity
Spawning
Spawning aggregation
Fecundity
Eggs
Egg development
Age/Size
Growth
Length-weight
Length-length
Length-frequencies
Morphometrics
Morphology
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Recruitment
Abundance
BRUVS
References
Aquaculture
Aquaculture profile
Strains
Genetics
Electrophoreses
Heritability
Diseases
Processing
Nutrients
Mass conversion
Collaborators
Pictures
Stamps, Coins Misc.
Sounds
Ciguatera
Speed
Swim. type
Gill area
Otoliths
Brains
Vision

Tools

Special reports

Download XML

Internet sources

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 18.9 - 27.5, mean 24.8 °C (based on 317 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.5000   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00427 (0.00354 - 0.00514), b=3.16 (3.11 - 3.21), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  4.5   ±0.0 se; based on diet studies.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Moderate vulnerability (42 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Medium.
Nutrients (Ref. 124155):  Calcium = 36 [12, 71] mg/100g; Iron = 0.426 [0.147, 0.932] mg/100g; Protein = 16.2 [13.3, 18.5] %; Omega3 = 0.0722 [, ] g/100g; Selenium = 41.4 [15.3, 89.5] μg/100g; VitaminA = 88.1 [23.2, 337.6] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.882 [0.514, 1.339] mg/100g (wet weight); based on nutrient studies.