Saurida normani Longley 1935

Saurida normani Longley, 1935

Shortjaw Lizardfish (English), Lagartinho (Brazilian Portuguese). (FIG. 2)

Material examined: UFBA 2821 (1 ex.: 283 mm SL), Brazil, Bahia, São João da Mata, off Praia do Forte, collector G. Marcovaldi, depth 300 m, 26 October 2006. TAMAR 0 0 54 (1 ex.: 275 mm SL), Brazil, Bahia, São João da Mata, off Praia do Forte, collector G. Marcovaldi, depth 400 m, 27 May 2007.

On May 27, 2007, two slender, silvery, lizardfishes were collected off Bahia, São João da Mata, Praia do Forte at a depth of about 400 m. One of them, smaller and slender, was easily identified as the Caribbean lizardfish (or smallscale lizardfish), Saurida caribbaea, a common species of the genus in the area. The other one, stouter, larger and with the upper jaw longer than the lower, thus different of the smaller one, was preserved in the TAMAR collection and later identified by the first author as Saurida normani, the Shortjaw lizardfish. This is a fish rarely observed in Brazilian waters and, as far as known there are no other voucher specimens in any Brazilian scientific institution, despite having been recorded for the region by Carvalho- Filho (1999) and Costa et al. (2007).

We examined two male specimens, both collected at a depth of about 400 m.

Diagnostic characters: Based on the examined specimens and literature data (Anderson et al., 1966; Böhlke & Chaplin, 1968; Uyeno & Aizawa, 1983; Cervigón, 1991; Cervigón et al., 1993; McEachran & Fechhelm, 1998; Carvalho-Filho, 1999; Russell, 2002; Ditty et al., 2006). (Table 2.A–B).

Body cylindrical, moderately elongate and slender; head almost cylindrical; snout blunt, slightly shorter than eye diameter; interorbital space somewhat concave, the wider of Atlantic Saurida species; upper jaw extends beyond lower jaw when the mouth is shut, a character unique among the Atlantic species of the genus; eye usually with a large adipose eyelid; dorsal fin origin anterior to mid-body, about equidistant between adipose fin and tip of snout, with 10–12 rays, the tips of the anterior, when depressed, usually extend beyond tips of all succeeding rays; anal fin with 9–11 rays, its base shorter than dorsal fin base; pelvic fin has 9 rays, the medial rays slightly longer than outer rays; pectoral fin with 13–14 rays and extends well beyond pelvic fin origin; scales moderate, the lateral line with 51–56 and not enlarged; pre-dorsal scales, 13–17; 4 rows of complete scales between lateral line and origin do dorsal fin; long and pointed axillary scales on pectoral and pelvic fins bases; gill-rakers very small, numerous and close-set. The color on head and body above lateral line is brownish to tan or grayish and some horizontal rows of scales might have a bluish center and a darker border; belly yellowish to silvery white with very small grayish dots; usually five or six, eventually up to nine, dark rounded blotches along lateral line, often inconspicuous; dorsal fin dusky, the tip often darker; caudal fin dusky, the borders eventually darker; pectoral fin with upper half dusky; anal and pelvic fins pale, the last one eventually with a dark, faded blotch on anterior edge; post-larvae up to 40 mm with 6 large ovoid peritoneal spots along gut, one or two on anal fin base and two in the ventral caudal peduncle. The largest Atlantic Saurida species with a maximum known size of about 450 mm; with about 400 mm SL, it weights 500 g.

Range: Western Atlantic, from North Carolina, USA to Bahia, Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean (McEachran & Fechhelm, 1998; Carvalho-Filho, 1999; Russell, 2002; Ditty et al., 2006 and Costa et al., 2007).

Counts Anderson et al. Uyeno & Cervigón McEachran & Present Study

(1966) Aizawa (1983) (1991) Fechhelm (1998)

Anderson et al. (1966) Cervigón (1991) Present Study

Head Length 22.7–26.7 25.1–28.3 23.6–24.4

Snout Length 4.2–5.7 6.5–7.2 6.2–6.4

Eye horizontal diameter 4.7–6.3 5.0–6.8 5.0–5.5

Interorbital 4.9–5.7 No data 5.5–6.0

Body depth (pelvic fin or.) 11.7–15.1 13.3–16.6 16.3–16.4

Predorsal length 37.5–43.4 No data 40.4–40.6

Preanal length 72.3–77.0 No data 72.4–76.4

Pectoral fin longest ray 12.1–15.7 15.3–16.8 15.6–16.4

Ventral fin longest ray 12.6–16.2 16.7–17.0 16.3–17.0

Anal fin base 11.3–15.1 No data 10.1–12.0

Dorsal fin base 7.7–9.5 No data 9.5–10.6

Proposed Brazilian name: “Trairado-Branco” meaning white “Trairado”, the common name proposed for Aulopus filamentosus, with which has strong resemblance due to its size and habitat.

Depth of occurrence: The examined specimens were collected in about 400 m deep. The range of depth from the literature is between 25 and 550 m (Cervigón et al., 1993).

Behavior: Adults live over soft bottoms and postlarvae have been collected in surface reef waters (Cervigón, 1991). Nothing is known to date about its diet and reproduction.