Variegated Lizardfish, Synodus variegatus (Lacépède 1803)


Other Names: Engleman's Lizardfish, Reef Lizardfish, Scaly-cheek Lizardfish

A Variegated Lizardfish, Synodus variegatus, in Comets Hole, Lord Howe Island lagoon, January 2009. Source: John Turnbull / Flickr. License: CC by Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike

Summary:
A greyish to whitish lizardfish with about six reddish to brown bars or saddles along the back and upper side usually joining smaller blotches along the side giving a hour-glass appearance, and whitish dashes along the lower midside.

Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2024, Synodus variegatus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 08 Dec 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/2780

Variegated Lizardfish, Synodus variegatus (Lacépède 1803)

More Info


Distribution

Houtman Abrolhos to Berthier Island and offshore reefs of  north Western Australia, and Ashmore Reef and Cartier Island in the Timor Sea, and the far northern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, and reefs in the Coral Sea, to Montague Island, southern New South Wales; also Christmas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean, the Lord Howe region and Norfolk Island in the Tasman Sea. Elsewhere the species is widespread in the Indo-west-central Pacific. 
Inhabits coastal and offshore reefs and usually seen perching on corals or rocks.

Features

Dorsal fin 10-14; Anal fin 8-10; Scale rows above lateral line 5.5. 

Feeding

Feeds on fishes and crustaceans (shrimp).

Similar Species

Although the similar Twospot Lizardfish, Synodus binotatus, also has two dark spots on the snout, it has larger scales, with 3.5 scales rows above the lateral line (vs. 5.5 in S. variegatus). In addition, the scales of S. variegatus usually have a dark margin, giving a diamond or mosaic pattern. S. binotatus also has a series of more rounded blotches along the side (vs. blotches more rectangular in shape in S. variegatus).

Etymology

The specific name is from the Latin variegatus (= of various colours), in reference to the variable colour pattern of this species.

Species Citation

Salmo variegatus Lacepède 1803, Hist. Nat. Poiss. 5: 157, pl. 3(3). Type locality: Mauritius, Mascarenes, southwestern Indian Ocean.

Author

Bray, D.J. 2024

Resources

Atlas of Living Australia

Variegated Lizardfish, Synodus variegatus (Lacépède 1803)

References


Allen, G.R. 1993. Fishes of Ashmore Reef and Cartier Island. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 44: 67-91

Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 292 pp. 106 pls.

Allen, G.R. & Erdmann, M.V. 2012. Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth : Tropical Reef Research 3 vols, 1260 pp.

Allen, G.R. & Smith-Vaniz, W.F. 1994. Fishes of Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Atoll Research Bulletin 412: 1-21

Allen, G.R. & Steene, R.C. 1979. The Fishes of Christmas Island, Indian Ocean. Aust. Natl. Parks Wldlf. Ser. Spec. Publ. 2. Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service 81 pp. 15 pls.

Allen, G.R., Steene, R.C. & Orchard, M. 2007. Fishes of Christmas Island. Christmas Island : Christmas Island Natural History Association 2 edn, 284 pp.

Allen, G.R. & Swainston, R. 1988. The Marine Fishes of North-Western Australia. A field guide for anglers and divers. Perth, WA : Western Australian Museum vi 201 pp., 70 pls. 

Choat, J.H., van Herwerden, L., Robbins, W.D., Hobbs, J.P. & Ayling, A.M. 2006. A report on the ecological surveys undertaken at Middleton and Elizabeth Reefs, February 2006. Report by James Cook University to the Department of the Environment and Heritage. 65 pp.

Cressey, R. 1981. Revision of the Indo-west Pacific lizardfishes of the genus Synodus (Pisces : Synodontidae). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 342: 1-53 figs 1-44, https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00810282.342 (as Synodus engelmani and S. variegatus)


Francis, M. 1993. Checklist of the coastal fishes of Lord Howe, Norfolk, and Kermadec Islands, southwest Pacific Ocean. Pacific Science 47(2): 136-170 figs 1-2

Francis, M.P. 2019. Checklist of the coastal fishes of Lord Howe, Norfolk and Kermadec Islands, southwest Pacific Ocean. figshare. Collection. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4428305.v2

Francis, M.P. & Randall, J.E. 1993. Further additions to the fish faunas of Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands, southwest Pacific Ocean. Pacific Science 47(2): 118-135 figs 1-22 pls 1-4

Grant, E.M. 2002. Guide to Fishes. Redcliffe : EM Grant Pty Ltd 880 pp.

Hobbs, J-P.A., Newman, S.J., Mitsopoulos, G.E.A., Travers, M.J., Skepper, C.L., Gilligan, J.J., Allen, G.R., Choat, H.J. & Ayling, A.M. 2014. Checklist and new records of Christmas Island fishes: the influence of isolation, biogeography and habitat availability on species abundance and community composition. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Supplement 30: 184–202 https://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/rbz/supplement-no-30/

Hobbs, J-P.A., Newman, S .J., Mitsopoulos, G.E.A., Travers, M.J., Skepper, C.L., Gilligan, J.J., Allen, G.R., Choat, H.J. & Ayling, A.M. 2014. Fishes of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands: new records, community composition and biogeographic significance. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Supplement 30: 203–219 https://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/rbz/supplement-no-30/

Hutchins, B. 2004. Fishes of the Dampier Archipelago, Western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 66: 343–398 

Hutchins, J.B. 1997. Checklist of fishes of the Houtman Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia. pp. 239-253 in Wells, F. (ed.) The Marine Fauna and Flora of the Houtman Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum. 

Johnson, J.W. 2010. Fishes of the Moreton Bay Marine Park and adjacent continental shelf waters, Queensland, Australia. pp. 299-353 in Davie, P.J.F. & Phillips, J.A. Proceedings of the Thirteenth International Marine Biological Workshop, The Marine Fauna and Flora of Moreton Bay. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 54(3)

Kuiter, R.H. 1993. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 437 pp.

Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. A comprehensive reference for divers and fishermen. Sydney, NSW, Australia : New Holland Publishers xvii, 434 pp.

Lacepède, B.G. 1803. Histoire Naturelle des Poissons. Paris : chez Plassan Vol. 5 803 pp. 21 pls. See ref at BHL

Randall, J.E. 2005. Reef and shore fishes of the South Pacific. New Caledonia to Tahiti and the Pitcairn Islands. Honolulu : University of Hawaii Press 707 pp.

Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & Steene, R. 1990. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 507 pp. figs.

Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & Steene, R. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 557 pp. figs.

Russell, B.C. 1999. Families Synodontidae, Bathysauridae. pp. 1928-1947 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, V.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 3 pp. 1397-2068.

Russell, B.C. 2015. Family Synodontidae. pp. 541-546 in Roberts, C.D., Stewart, A.L. & Struthers, C.D. The Fishes of New Zealand. Wellington : Te Papa Press Vol. 2 pp. 1-576.

Russell, B., Smith-Vaniz, W.F. & Lawrence, A. 2016. Synodus variegatus . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T67856085A67871730. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T67856085A67871730.en. Downloaded on 06 March 2020.

Schultz, L.P. 1953. Family Synodontidae: lizardfishes. pp. 30-42, in Schultz, L.P., Herald, E.S., Lachner, E.A., Welander, A.D. & Woods, L.P. (eds). Fishes of the Marshall and Marianas Islands. Vol. 1. Families Asymmetrontidae through Siganidae. Bulletin of the United States National Museum 202(1): 1-685, figs 1-90, pls 1-74, https://doi.org/10.5479/si.03629236.202.1 (described as Synodus engelmani, type locality Marshall Islands)

Waples, R.S. & Randall, J.E. 1989. A revision of the Hawaiian lizardfishes of the genus Synodus, with descriptions of four new species. Pacific Science 42(3-4): 177-213 http://hdl.handle.net/10125/1077

Quick Facts


CAAB Code:37118023

Conservation:IUCN Least Concern

Depth:3-121 m

Habitat:Reef associated

Max Size:40 cm TL

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CAAB distribution map