Saurida brasiliensis
Largescale Lizardfish
NS
G5
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Aulopiformes
Synodontidae (Lizardfishes)
Saurida
Saurida brasiliensis (Largescale Lizardfish)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
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Characters
Moderately elongate, moderately slender, and almost cylindrical, with a relatively short dorsal fin and a large oblique mouth. Snout is blunt, narrow, and about equal to eye diameter. Body depth is 9.2% to 15.2%, head length is 22.4% to 26.5%, and snout length is 4.4% to 6.3% of SL. Lower jaw extends beyond upper jaw. Teeth are arranged in bands in upper and lower jaws, with inner teeth largest. Bands of similar teeth occur on tongue and branchial arches, and in two bands in palatine. Branchiostegal rays number 13 to 16. Pectoral fin has 11 to 13 rays, and when depressed, tip of fin extends to or beyond pelvic fin base. Dorsal fin has 9 to 12 rays, and when depressed, tips of anterior rays extend beyond tips of all succeeding rays. Pelvic fin has 9 rays, and median rays are usually longer than outer rays. Anal fin has 10 to 13 rays, and base is shorter than dorsal fin base. Dorsal adipose fin is present. Scales are present on cheeks, gill cover, body, and base of caudal fin. Lateral line scales are not enlarged and number 43 to 47. Enlarged axillary scales occur at base of pectoral and pelvic fins. Vertebrae number 44.
Color is brownish on dorsal parts of head and trunk to lateral line. Three faint brown saddles occur at origin of dorsal fin, posterior end of dorsal fin base, and anterior to adipose fin. About six faint brown blotches are present on lateral line. Lower parts of head and body are light. Dorsal fin has dark submarginal stripe. Juveniles have 10 large black spots on lower side and an elongate black blotch on lower edge of operculum.
Distribution
From the coast of North Carolina to the Florida Keys, throughout the Gulf of Mexico and the western Caribbean to southern Brazil.
Habitat Associations
Tropical and warm temperate waters of the western North Atlantic, possibly in tropical waters of the eastern Atlantic. Captured on the bottom from 18 to 410 m but most abundant in less than 183 m.
Biology
Maximum known size is 115 mm SL
Size at maturity is 80 mm SL
Found on the outer continental shelf (Ref. 4472).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2013-01-29. Resilience: High (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Phylogeny and Morphologically Similar Fishes
Distinguished from other species of the family by the combination of characters described.
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: commercial.
References
Longley and Hildebrand 1941
Anderson et al. 1966
Hoese and Moore 1977
Castro-Aguirre and Marquez-Espinoza 1981
C. R. Robins et al. 1986
Boschung 1992
Thresher, R.E. (1984) Reproduction in reef fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Inc. Ltd., Neptune City, New Jersey. 399 p.
Schneider, W. (1990) FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Field guide to the commercial marine resources of the Gulf of Guinea. Prepared and published with the support of the FAO Regional Office for Africa. Rome: FAO. 268 p.
Sulak, K.J. (1990) Synodontidae. p. 365-370. In J.C. Quero, J.C. Hureau, C. Karrer, A. Post and L. Saldanha (eds.) Check-list of the fishes of the eastern tropical Atlantic (CLOFETA). JNICT, Lisbon; SEI, Paris; and UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 1.
Sierra, L.M., R. Claro and O.A. Popova (1994) Alimentacion y relaciones tróficas. p. 263-284. In Rodolfo Claro (ed.) Ecología de los Peces Marinos de Cuba. Instituto de Oceanología Academia de Ciencias de Cuba and Centro de Investigaciones de Quintana Roo, Mexico.
Sanches, J.G. (1991) Catálogo dos principais peixes marinhos da República de Guiné-Bissau. Publ. Avuls. Inst. Nac. Invest. Pescas 16:429 p.
Comments On Saurida brasiliensis