134 
Fishery Bulletin 111(2) 
lower than 28 m, whereas nearly half of the specimens 
of S. intermedius examined are from those depths. Syn- 
odus macrostigmus generally inhabits deeper waters 
(mean depth 96.5 m) than does S. intermedius (mean 
depth 49.3 m), but they co-occur at many depths. For 
example, 4 specimens of S. intermedius and 1 speci- 
men of S. macrostigmus (UF 29818) were collected in a 
single trawl off Florida. 
From their congeners, S. macrostigmus and S. in- 
termedius can be differentiated from S. poeyi by an- 
terior dorsal-fin rays that do not extend beyond the 
distal tips of succeeding rays when the fin is depressed 
and from S. saurus (Bluestripe Lizardfish), S. bondi, 
S. foetens, and S. synodus in having fewer lateral-line 
scales (45-48 in S. macrostigmus, 55 or more in the 
other species). 
Remarks 
Two previously described species are currently rec- 
ognized as synonyms of Synodus intermedius (Agas- 
siz, 1829): Saurus anolis (Valenciennes in Cuvier 
and Valenciennes, 1850) and Synodus cubanus Poey, 
1876. Valenciennes described Saurus anolis in 2 brief 
paragraphs in Cuvier and Valenciennes (1850), but he 
did not mention a scapular blotch and compared the 
specimens only with S. synodus. Type material was 
deposited in the Museum National d’Histoire Naturel- 
le (MNHN) in Paris; 2 syntypes exist in this mate- 
rial, one dried (MNFIN A-8611) and one in alcohol (B- 
1022) (Bertin and Esteve, 1950). The wet specimen ap- 
pears to be S. intermedius on the basis of caudal bar- 
ring and remnants of a miniscule scapular blotch. 
Diagnostic features are not discernible on the dried 
syntype. 
Albert K. L. G. Gunther purportedly synonymized 
Saurus anolis with Synodus intermedius before 1868 
(Poey, 1868); however, no published reference has been 
located. Meek (1884) recognized Saurus anolis as valid 
in his systematic review of Synodontidae in the west- 
ern Atlantic, but he stated the original description is 
“so insufficient that no certain identification can be 
made” (Meek, 1884: 134). Anderson et al. (1966) listed 
Saurus anolis as a synonym of Synodus intermedius 
without providing discussion. We concur with Meek’s 
assessment of the original description but recognize 
Saurus anolis as a synonym of Synodus intermedius 
on the basis of features of one of the MNHN Saurus 
anolis syntypes. 
The second synonym, Synodus cubanus, was de- 
scribed as having caudal barring, yellow body stripes, 
short pelvic fins, and a scapular spot (Poey, 1876). 
The description was based on a 375-mm-SL specimen 
from Cuba, but the whereabouts of this specimen are 
unknown. Jordan (1884) identified a specimen from 
Florida (USNM 35045) as Poey’s S. cubanus, but he 
noted that it matches the description of S. interme- 
dius by previous authors (e.g., Gunther, 1864). Our 
examination of USNM 35045 revealed a small scapu- 
lar marking typical of S. intermedius and diagnostic 
morphological features, such as 51 lateral-line scales. 
We agree that S. cubanus Poey, 1876, is a synonym of 
S. intermedius. 
Synodus foetens (Linnaeus, 1 766) 
English common name: Inshore Lizardfish 
Figures 1, 2C, 5 (A and B), and 6, Tables I, 4, and 5 
Salmo foetens Linnaeus, 1766: 513 (12 th ed.). Descrip- 
tion based on Catesby, 1743; specimens sent by Dr. 
Alexander Garden of Charleston, South Carolina; no 
types designated. 
Osmerus albidus Lacepede, 1803: 229. Name given 
in list and based on descriptions by Catesby and 
Linnaeus. Type locality: South Carolina; no types 
designated. 
Coregonus ruber Lacepede, 1803: 243. Name given in 
list and based on description by Plumier. Type local- 
ity: Martinique; no types designated. 
Esox salmoneus Mitchill, 1815: 442. Type locality: New 
York Bay; described from specimens, 203-229 mm in 
total length; no types designated. 
Saurus longirostris Agassiz in Spix and Agassiz, 1829: 
80, pi. 43. Type locality: Brazil; described from speci- 
mens, 178-216 mm in total length; current where- 
abouts unknown. 
Saurus mexicanus Cuvier, 1829: 314. Type locality: 
Gulf of Mexico; no types designated. 
Saurus spixianus Poey, 1860: 304. Type locality: Cuba; 
one type — MCZ 6884, 330 mm. 
Holotype 
No types known. 
Designation of neotype 
Linnaeus (1766) described Salmo foetens from material 
collected off the coast of South Carolina. Type material 
is not present in known collections of Linnaean speci- 
mens (Wheeler, 1985; 1991), and, although the origi- 
nal description is vague, it indicates the presence of 
12 anal-fin rays. We believe that the genetic lineage of 
“ Synodus foetens” in our data set that comprises speci- 
mens with 12 anal-fin rays is Synodus foetens (Linnae- 
us, 1766); the type locality of Salmo foetens provides 
corroborative evidence, because several specimens in 
our Synodus foetens lineage are from South Carolina. 
To stabilize the taxonomic status of Synodus foetens 
and distinguish it from S. bondi, formerly considered a 
synonym of S. foetens but resurrected herein (see entry 
for S. bondi below), we establish a neotype for S. foe- 
tens. We have selected USNM 405413 as the neotype 
on the basis of its collection off the type locality, South 
Carolina. 
