Zoological Studies

Vol. 48 No. 3, 2009

Five New Indo-Pacific Lizardfishes of the Genus Synodus (Aulopiformes: Synodontidae)

John E. Randall

Bishop Museum, 1525 Bernice St., Honolulu, HI 96817-2704, USA

John E. Randall (2009) The following 5 new species of lizardfishes of the genus Synodus are described:  S. fasciapelvicus, 1 market specimen, Lombok, Indonesia and 2 from 26-29 m in the Philippines; S. isolatus, 9 specimens from Easter I. in 10-18 m, and 1 from about 250 m; S. mundyi, 2 specimens from 84 to about 200 m in the Hawaiian Is.; S. pylei, 2 specimens from 90-96 m in Fiji; and S. sanguineus, 1 specimen from about 100 m in Manado Bay, Sulawesi.  The specimens were initially identified as S. doaki Russell and Cressey, type locality New Zealand.  The 5 species are differentiated from S. doaki and one another principally by fin-ray, scale, and vertebral counts, the shape of the flap on the anterior nostril, and nuances in life color.  In addition, the specimen identified as S. doaki from 250 m in the Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea by Baranes and Golani (1993) is reidentified as S. randalli Cressey, type locality, Sudan, Red Sea.

Key words: Synodus, Synodontidae, New species, Indo-Pacific.

*Correspondence: E-mail:jackr@hawaii.rr.com