Deepsea lizardfish
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[Photo] Deepsea lizardfish, Bathysaurus ferox. From plate 18 of Oceanic Ichthyology by G. Brown Goode and Tarleton H. Bean, published 1896.

The deepsea lizardfish, Bathysaurus ferox, is a lizardfish of the family Synodontidae, found in tropical and subtropical seas worldwide at depths of between 600 and 3,500 m. Its length is between 50 and 65 cm.

The deepsea lizardfish is a heavy-bodied fish, rounded in cross-section with a broad flattened head containing a large wide mouth. The lower jaw protrudes further forward than the upper. Both jaws and all the mouth bones are heavily covered with conical barbed teeth and most of the jaw teeth are visible outside the edges of the mouth. The strong thick pelvic fins probably serve as props when the fish is resting on the bottom waiting for prey.

Deepsea lizardfish are covered in tough scales and are dark brown or black with black eyes and a black lining to the mouth and gill cavity.

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