FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 72, NO. 4 



Figure 10. — Synodus variegatus, a lizardfish, poised to strike at prey in the water overhead. 



tions on the sea floor. Of nine speared during af- 

 ternoons, six had empty guts, but two contained 

 fish fragments, and one contained three fish — two 

 digested beyond recognition, and one relatively 

 fresh Plagiotremus gosUnei (32 mm). Of two col- 

 lected during morning twilight, one was empty, 

 while the other contained an extensively digested 

 fish (25 mm). Finally, one collected at night, 5 h 

 after sunset, contained fish fragments. 



CONCLUSION.— nSvnof/i/s variegatus attacks 

 small fishes during the day and probably also at 

 night. 



General Remarks on Lizardfishes 



Similar behavior is widely reported for the 

 synodontids of tropical seas. In the Florida Keys, 

 Starck and Davis (1966) reported that Synodus 

 synodus andTrachinocephalus myops lie partially 

 buried in the sand and erupt to capture prey 

 swimming overhead during the day. Similarly, 

 Randall ( 1967) noted that lizardfishes in the West 

 Indies, including S. synodus, S. intermedius, and 

 S.foetens, may rest on rocks, sand, or mud, where 

 they sometimes partially bury themselves. Hart- 

 line et al. (1972) observed on several occasions 

 during the day Synodus sp. in the Virgin Islands 



attacking the damselfish Chromis cyaneus from 

 resting positions on the substratum. Similar ob- 

 servations were also reported by Smith and Tyler 

 ( 1972). Although fishes seem to be the major prey 

 of synodontids, Randall (1967) found some 

 shrimps and squids in the predominantly pis- 

 civorous diet of lizardfishes in the West Indies. 

 Suyehiro (1942) also reported shrimps and squid 

 secondary prey to fishes in the diet of Saurida 

 undosquamis in Japan. Probably any free- 

 swimming animal of appropriate size becomes 

 prey if it passes close above a waiting lizardfish 

 when conditions are suitable for attack. The jaws 

 of lizardfishes are profusely rimmed with sharp, 

 inwardly depressible canine teeth, like those of 

 many morays, and this type of dentition is espe- 

 cially well suited to grasping small fishes. 



Order Gadiformes 

 Family Brotulidae: brotulas 



Brotula nuiltiharhata Temminck and 

 Schlegel — puhi palcihoana 



This fish is not in view during daylight, except 

 to one who enters some of the darker caves. Al- 

 though diurnally secretive, it swims into the open 



930 



