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Wanieso lizardfish (Saurida wanieso) — Synodontidae

Wanieso lizardfish

Saurida wanieso
Family: Synodontidae

The Wanieso lizardfish (Saurida wanieso) is a saltwater fish of the family Synodontidae that grows up to 65 cm.

Length
65 cm
Water
Saltwater
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The Wanieso lizardfish is a lizardfish (Synodontidae) of sand and mud bottoms around Australia and the Indo-West Pacific. The species grows to about 25 cm and has an elongate, cylindrical, sand-coloured body with a lizard-like head and a large mouth full of needle teeth. As an ambush predator it lies half-buried and darts up at passing small fish and crustaceans. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Wanieso lizardfish?

The Wanieso lizardfish has an elongate, eel-like body and is mainly brown.

Where does the Wanieso lizardfish live?

The Wanieso lizardfish lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Wanieso lizardfish get?

The Wanieso lizardfish grows to a maximum of about 65 cm.

Is the Wanieso lizardfish dangerous to humans?

No, the Wanieso lizardfish is harmless to humans.

Is the Wanieso lizardfish edible?

Yes, the Wanieso lizardfish is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Wanieso-hagedisvis sourced
English name
Wanieso lizardfish sourced
Scientific name
Saurida wanieso
Family
Synodontidae
Other names
Wanieso lizardfish; Wanieso saury verified

Appearance

Size class
Large verified
Max length (cm)
65.0 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Brown sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten inferred
Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Saurida

More from the family Synodontidae

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