Variegated Lizardfish

The Variegated Lizardfish (Synodus variegatus), a member of the Synodontidae family, is situated within the marine environments of the Western Pacific and 🌊 Indian Oceans. This ichthyic specimen is known to inhabit waters ranging from 4 to 90 meters in depth. It is observed that this species can achieve a maximum length of 40 centimeters.

Morphologically, the Variegated Lizardfish is characterized by a cylindrical body with a head that is both broad and moderately depressed, complemented with a large and expansive oral cavity. The dental architecture comprises conical, barbed dentition, uniformly distributed on both jaws and all associated boney structures within the mouth. The robust and sizable pelvic fins of this species perform a critical function, acting as stabilizing structures when the organism is stationary on the substrate in anticipation of capturing prey. In terms of pigmentation, the Variegated Lizardfish exhibits coloration which ranges from shades of grey to hues of red, accentuated by distinctive hourglass-shaped markings upon its body.

In the scientific literature, there has been a historical misidentification within the Synodontidae taxonomy. The species Synodus dermatogenys was erroneously identified as S. variegatus. Conversely, the authentic S. variegatus was referred to as S. englemani Schultz, 1953 by a number of authorities, inclusive of Gosline & Brock (1960) and Cressey (1981). This taxonomical confusion was rectified by Waples and Randall in 1989 who elucidated that S. variegatus is in fact the senior synonym of S. englemani, and that S. dermatogenys is the accurately named species for the lizardfish previously designated as S. variegatus by Cressey (1981).