Author: (Richardson, 1848)

Saurida undosquamis (Richardson, 1848)

Diagnosis: snout rounded in dorsal aspect. Eye diameter into head length 4-5 1/2 times, into inter-orbital width 1 1/8-1 1/2 times. Pectoral fin rather short, 1 1/3-1 2/3 times into head length; extending nearly to dorsal fin insertion. Axillary scale of pelvic fin long and pointed, length equal to or greater than snout length. Longest ray of dorsal fin slightly shorter to slightly longer than head length. Caudal peduncle depressed. Dorsal finrays 11-12; anal finrays 10-12; pelvic finrays 9; pectoral finrays 14-15. Lateral line scales 41-52. Colour: leading edge of dorsal fin and upper leading edge of caudal fin with characteristic row of dark spots. Body with 8-10 dark spots along the lateral line. Size: 20-30 cm commonly, 50 cm max.

Habitat: generally in depths less than 100 m (maximum of c. 225 m) on sand and mud bottom. Food: predatory on small fishes. Anchovy and red mullet (Mullus surmuletus) reported as food items (Fischer, 1973). Reproduction: larval stage has been figured (Okiyama, 1973). Spawning occurs in April-May off Japan (Okada, 1955). Commercial importance: eaten fresh and as fish cakes in Japan (Okada, 1955).

Distribution: an Indo-West Pacific species which has invaded the eastern Mediterranean via the Suez Canal. Eastern Mediterranean, Gulf of Suez, Red Sea; South Africa to Australia in the Indian Ocean; off Japan to Great Barrier Reef in the Pacific.

Eggs, larvae and young stages. No data.
Otoliths (sagitta). Kotthaus, 1967: 75, fig. 63.

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Vertebrata
Superclass Gnathostomata
Class Osteichthyes
Order Scopeliformes
Suborder Myctophoidei
Family Synodontidae
Genus Saurida
Species Saurida undosquamis

Status in World Register of Marine Species

Accepted name: Saurida undosquamis (Richardson, 1848)

Scientific synonyms and common names

Saurida undosquamis (Richardson, 1848)

Synonyms:

Saurus undosquamis Richardson, 1848, Zool. Voy. Erebus and Terror, Fishes: 138 (coast of northwest Africa). Holotype: BMNH.
Saurida grandisquamis Günther, 1864, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., S: 400 (Louisiade Archipelago). Syntypes: BMNH no. 1850.7.20.92, 1856.9.11.28 and 1857.2.30.13.
Saurida argyophanes Jordan and Evermann, 1902
Saurida tumbil (nec Bloch) Regan, 1908
Saurida macrolepis Tanaka, 1916


Common names:

anoli de mer [Fr]
brushtooth lizardfish [En]
lagarto [Es]
lizard fish [En]

Günther, A. 1864a. Catalogue of the fishes in the British Museum. 5. Catalogue of the Physostomi containing the families Siluridae, Characinidae, Haplochitonidae, Sternoptychidae, Scopelidae, Stomiatidae in the collection of the British Museum. London, xxii+455 pp.

Jordan, D. S.; Evermann, B. W. 1902. Notes on a collection of fishes from the island of Formosa. Proc . U.S. nat. Mus., 25: 315-368.

Kotthaus, A. 1967. Fische des Indischen Ozeans. Ergebnisse der ichthyologischen Untersuchungen während der Expedition des Forschungsschiffes 'Meteor' in den Indischen Ozean, Oktober 1964 bis Mai 1965. 'Meteor' Forsch. Ergebn., (D) 1: 1-84, fig. 1-96.

Regan, C. T. 1908. The systematic position of Stylophorus caudatus. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., 2: 447-449.

Richardson, J. 1844-1848. Ichthyology. In: J. Richardson & J. E. Gray, The Zoology of the voyage of HMS 'Erebus' and ~Terror' under the command of Capt. Sir J. C. Ross during . . . 1839-43, London, 2 (2): viii+139 p., 62 pl. (1844 :1-16; 1845 :17-52; 1846: 53-74; 1848: i-viii+75-139).

Tanaka, S. 1916. Dobuts. Zasshi (Zool. Mag.), Tokyo, 29.

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