Lighthouse lizardfish

Synodus jaculum

Fish
IUCN: Least concern

Usual depth5–72 m
Water temperature20–30 °C
Best monthsApril, September, and October
How commonRare

Photo credit: (c) Ewout Knoester, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist

About this species

The lighthouse lizardfish, also known as the blacktail lizardfish, is a species of lizardfish that lives mainly in the Indo-Pacific.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Lighthouse lizardfish”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

Loading the map

Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 16 records
February: 12 records
March: 18 records
April: 29 records
May: 28 records
June: 22 records
July: 8 records
August: 24 records
September: 42 records
October: 40 records
November: 27 records
December: 21 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 5–72 m · Deepest record: 119.5 m

0–10 m: 18 records
10–20 m: 21 records
20–30 m: 22 records
30–40 m: 6 records
40–50 m: 7 records
50–60 m: 8 records
60–70 m: 6 records
70–80 m: 7 records
80–90 m: 3 records
90–100 m: 1 records
100–110 m: 0 records
110–120 m: 1 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 20–30 °C

20–22 °C: 2 records
22–24 °C: 11 records
24–26 °C: 29 records
26–28 °C: 62 records
28–30 °C: 59 records

Photos

Names and classification

English: Lighthouse lizardfish, Blackblotch Lizardfish, Blackblotch Lizardfish, Lighthouse lizardfish, Black-tailed Lizardfish, Javelinfish, lighthouse lizardfish, Tail-blotch Lizardfish, Tailspot Lizardfish

Names in 4 more languages

Spanish: lagarto faro
French: Anoli phare, Poisson-lézard à tache noire
Japanese: Oguroeso, オグロエソ
Simplified Chinese: 射狗母, 射狗母魚, 斑尾狗母魚, 汕狗母, 狗母, 狗母梭, 番狗母

Similar species

banded lizardfish
Synodus dermatogenys
Common lizardfish
Synodus variegatus

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
398 open-data records from 1964 to 2023.
Species data updated October 26, 2026.

Log what you see on your next dive

The free DiveHive diver app keeps your logbook with every sighting and shows what lives at the site you dive next.

Join the waitlist