A slender ambush hunter that props itself on its pelvic fins on open sand and does not move. The mouth is a slot of inward-slanting needle teeth that shows even when closed, and there is a dark blotch at the base of the tail that separates this species from the commoner lizardfishes beside it.
The hunting method is one lunge. The fish waits, tracks a passing fish with eyes that move independently, then launches in a burst that ends with the prey already inside a mouth it cannot escape - the teeth angle backward, so struggling only feeds the fish faster. Between attempts it settles back into the same spot and becomes sand again.
Divers walk past dozens of these without registering them, then find one in a photograph they took of something else. On sand, look for a straight line where nothing should be straight, and for a pair of eyes set high on a head that is otherwise buried.
- slender body with a dark blotch at the base of the tail
- propped up on its pelvic fins, motionless on open sand
- mouth full of needle teeth, visible even when closed
- length up to 20 cm
