THE FISHES OF NEW JERSEY. 117 



Genus Synodus Bloch and Schneider. 



The Lizard Fishes. 

 Synodus foetens (Linnaeus). 



Plate 9. 

 Lizard Fish. Soury. Frost Fish. 



Head 4; depth 7^^ ; D. 11, 11 ; A. 11, 10; scales 56 in lateral 

 hne to base of caudal ; 6 scales between dorsal and lateral line ; 6 

 scales between lateral line and ventral; snout 3J^ in head; eye 

 6ys ; maxillary 1^/7; interorbital space 5^; base of dorsal 2% ', 

 base of anal 1%; upper caudal lobe 1^/7 ; pectoral 2}i ; ventral 

 1%; least depth of caudal peduncle 4}^. Body slender, cylin- 

 drical, tapering posteriorly. Head attenuate, depressed. Snout 

 pointed, depressed, protruding beyond mandible. Eye circular, 

 anterior and encroaching a little on profile above. Mouth wade. 

 Premaxillaries not protractile, with 2 series of knife-shaped com- 

 pressed large teeth, inner depressible. Patch of strong depressible 

 teeth on tongue anteriorly, and a long row along hyoid bone. 

 Interorbital space broad and concave. Gill-rakers minute. Rows 

 of scales rather irregular and moderately oblique. Cheek with 

 7 rows, 26 before dorsal, and 5 between adipose fin and lateral 

 line. Dorsal inserted nearer tip of snout than base of caudal. 

 Adipose fin inserted midway between tip of depressed dorsal and 

 base of caudal. Anal inserted a little nearer tip of ventral than 

 base of caudal. Caudal deeply forked, lobes pointed sharply. 

 Least depth of caudal peduncle a trifle more than half its length. 

 Pectoral short, rounded, about 5^ of space to ventral or about 

 midway between tip- of snout and origin of anal. Color sandy- 

 gray, pale yellowish below. Back mottled, and head above ver- 

 miculated. Ventrals, inside and lower side of mouth, tinged 

 yellowish. Fins otherwise pale grayish. Length yy^ inches. 

 Atlantic City. 



A slender species with saurian aspect darting about on sandy 

 shoals which has earned the name lizard fish. At the above 



