California Lizardfish
Synodus lucioceps
Sand diver
Synodus intermedius
About
The sand diver is a slender, sand-coloured lizardfish that lies still on the seabed, waiting to ambush smaller fish. It often goes unnoticed until it darts out from the sand or a reef top.
Also known as: sand diver, sand diver
- Length
- 40 cm · max 46 cm
- Weight
- max 1 kg
- Depth
- up to 320 m
How to tell it apart
This species can be confused with other lizardfish that share its sandy colour and elongated shape. The dark patch on the shoulder combined with its yellowish-gold body stripes, rather than the blue or turquoise stripes of the similar Atlantic lizardfish, helps confirm this species.
Appearance
This fish has a long, slender body, dappled brownish-gray on top and pale underneath. A dark patch sits on the shoulder, just above the gill slits, and about eight pairs of reddish-brown bars cross the top and sides of the body. Slender yellowish-gold lines run lengthwise along its sides. The lower jaw has a rounded tip, and the mouth is wide, lined with many fine, needle-like teeth. It grows up to 46 cm, usually seen around 40 cm.
Habitat
It lives on or near the sea floor, resting on sand among boulders, in sandy corridors within reefs, or propped on its fins atop reef structures. It ranges through the western Atlantic, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico, from North Carolina and Bermuda south to Brazil. It is found from 3 m down to 320 m, most often above 60 m.
Did you know?
Sand divers were once thought to simply lie in wait for prey, but they actually actively hunt other predatory fish, putting them near the top of the reef food chain despite their small size.
Log it in Into the Blue
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