SOLITARY ISLANDS
UNDERWATER
RESEARCH GROUP, INC.

Synodus jaculum
(Russell and Cressey, 1979)

Common Name: Tail-blotch Lizardfish

Distribution: Common in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific region: from East Africa to the Line Islands, Marquesan and Society Islands, north to southern Japan, south to New South Wales, Australia. Also Palau to Kosrae in Micronesia. In Australia recorded from Exmouth in Western Australia north to the Timor Sea. From north Queensland south to northern New South Wales, and including Lord Howe Island.

Ecological Notes: Frequents areas of shallow reef and flats, sand and rubble areas near coral heads. Depth 2 – 100 m.

Additional Notes: Variable colouration from pale to dark brown, blotched pattern across back, with dark band, which bulges forward in the middle, on the tail base. Preys on fish and small invertebrates, often darting high into the water column for prolonged periods. Solitary or in pairs and small groups. Grows to 20 cm, commonly 10 cm.

References: R. Stuart-Smith, G. Edgar, A. Green, I. Shaw, Tropical Marine Fishes of Australia. Reed New Holland Publishers, 2015. p.48.

Atlas of Living Australia website at https://bie.ala.org.au/search?q=synodus+jaculum. Accessed 06/07/18.

FishBase. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2018. World Wide Web electronic publication. https://fishbase.ca/summary/synodus-jaculum.html. Accessed 06/07/18.