Subfamily Synodontinae

Synodontidae: Synodontinae

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Introduction

Currently, Synodontinae include two genera and about 52 recognised species worldwide (Eschmeyer & Fong 2015). Two genera and 16 species of lizardfishes are recorded from Australian waters. Sulak (1977) moved the genus Saurida from the Synodontinae, placing it in Harpadontinae.

Lizardfishes are usually found over soft bottoms in shallow waters of the continental shelf, but are known to about 400 m. Several species occur on coral reefs. They reach a maximum size of between 8 and 22 cm.

Synodontines have been treated extensively by several authors. Sulak (1977) treated the relationships of the family, and more recently Baldwin & Johnson (1996) altered the classification. Cressey (1981) revised the Indo-Pacific species of Synodus and Anderson et al. (1966) and Polanco et al. (2016) treated Trachinocephalus. Waples & Randall (1989) presented a number of changes to the nomenclature of the genus Synodus. Many of the Australian species are treated in Russell (1999), but a number of taxonomic problems exist.

General References

Anderson, W.A., Gehringer, J.W. & Berry, F.H. 1966. Family Synodontidae. pp. 31-102 figs 8-35 in Olsen, Y.H. (ed.). Fishes of the Western North Atlantic. Lizardfishes, other Iniomi, Deepsea Gulpers. Yale University : The Sears Foundation for Marine Research Mem. I Pt 5 647 pp. 220 pls.

Baldwin, C.C. & Johnson, G.D. 1996. Interrelationships of Aulopiformes. pp. 355-404 in Stiassny, M.L.J., Parenti, L.R. & Johnson, G.D. (eds). Interrelationships of Fishes. San Diego : Academic Press 496 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

Eschemyer, W.N. & Fong, J.D. 2015 7 January 2015. Species by family/subfamily in the Catalog of Fishes. http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/SpeciesByFamily.asp

Polanco F., A., Acero P., A. & Bentancur-R., R. 2016. No longer a circumtropical species: revision of the lizardfishes in the Trachinocephalus myops species complex, with description of a new species from the Marquesas Islands. Journal of Fish Biology 88(2): 1302-1326 [online 26 June 2016]

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.

Sulak, K.J. 1977. The systematics and biology of Bathypterois (Pisces, Chlorophthalmidae) with a revised classification of benthic myctophiform fishes. Galathea Report 14: 49-108 figs 1-32 pls 1-7

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

Common Name References

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. [36] (Lizardfishes)

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. [1928] (FAO) (Lizardfishes)

Whitley, G.P. 1948. A list of the fishes of Western Australia. Western Australia Fish Department. Fisheries Bulletin 2: 1-35 map [13] (Lizard Fishes)

History of changes