What is "inshore lizardfish"

lizardfish \lizardfish\, lizard fish \lizard fish\n. (Zo["o]l.) Any of several mostly tropical marine scopeloid fish of the family Synodontidae having large mouths in lizardlike heads, especially the inshore lizardfish ( Synodus foetens syn. Synodus poeyi) of Mideastern and Southern United States and West Indies; -- sometimes called sand pike.

Note: A freshwater perch, the sauger, a different fish, is also called the sand pike.

Syn: snakefish.

The inshore lizardfish (Synodus foetens) inhabits the east coast of the Americas. They are a slender fish, growing to no more than 16 inches in length. The mouth is large and wide, the upper jaw extending beyond the eyes. The jaws contain many needle-like teeth, found as well as on the tongue and roof of the mouth. The snout is pointed. The dorsal body color is various shades of brown to olive, while the ventral color is typically yellow to white. Young fish have darkly mottled sides which fade as they mature.Inshore lizardfish are bottom-dwellers found over sand and mud in waters as deep as 15 fathoms (90 feet).

This lizardfish ranges from southern Massachusetts to Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, the West Indies, and Bermuda. However, they are rarely seen north of North Carolina.