Atlantic Lizardfish

Photo: Dennis Rabeling · CC BY-NC-ND

Atlantic lizardfish are ubiquitous on the sandy flats around the Caleta de Fustes wrecks, lying motionless on the sediment with pectoral fins deployed as props and eyes rotated independently to scan for prey — a behaviour that makes them appear simultaneously lazy and hyper-alert. They are ambush predators capable of explosive acceleration from a standing start, engulfing prey fish in a single lunge using a mouth lined with long, needle-like teeth that fold backward to prevent escape. Their cryptic resting posture makes them easy to overlook on the sand but extremely rewarding to observe once located, and they are reliably encountered on every dive at this site.