Maldives Marine Life

Marine life of Maldivian waters

← All species
Gracile lizardfish
No photo available
Photo: Diego Delso / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (view on Wikimedia Commons)

Gracile lizardfish

Saurida gracilis

Valid name (FishBase; confirmed in Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes and WoRMS, October 2026).

English
Gracile lizardfish
Scientific
Saurida gracilis
Dhivehi
Ala thadu
Group
Reef fish
Family
Synodontidae (lizardfishes)
Maximum size
Up to about 32 cm (standard length)
Depth and habitat
Coral reefs and reef-associated habitats, recorded from 0 to 135 m (usually 1 to 12 m)
IUCN status
LC · Least ConcernLeast Concern (LC), assessed 2015

Description

A slender lizardfish with blackish blotches on the rear body and banded fins, reaching about 32 cm. It rests on sand and silty reefs in shallow lagoons and ambushes small fish, mainly at night.

In the Maldives

FishBase (Maldives) gives ala thadu.

Sources

  • fishbase.se /summary/Saurida-gracilis.html
  • fishbase.se /comnames/CommonNamesList.php?ID=4534&GenusName=Saurida&SpeciesName=gr
  • commons.wikimedia.org /wiki/File:Pez_lagarto_(Saurida_gracilis),_Anilao,_Filipinas,_2023-08-

Dhivehi name source: FishBase common names (country: Maldives) give 'Ala thadu' (Latin script). FishBase also lists 'Sudung' under India (Minicoy/Lakshadweep Mahl dialect); not used. FLAG: single source.