Occurrence of juvenile Atlantic Lizardfish, Synodus saurus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Pisces: Synodontidae) in the southeastern Adriatic Sea

Abstract

       Six juvenile of the Atlantic Lizardfish, Synodus saurus (Linnaeus,1758; Pisces: Synodontidae), considered to be a rare species in the Adriatic Sea, were caught in three shallow bays (Gornji Molunat Bay, Gornje Čelo Bay, and Lopud Bay) in the southeastern Croatian Adriatic. These specimens represent the first record of juveniles of this species in shallow waters of southeastern Adriatic. This paper reports their morphological and meristic features. This occurrence of juvenile stages of this species is circumstantial evidence for its expansion in this part of the Adriatic.