catalog Synodontidae · predator

sand diver

Synodus intermedius

Sea

Sandy-bottom lizardfish near reefs and rocks, from 3 to 320 m, with yellow stripes and dark bars on the body. An ambush predator, it is hooked by accident in bottom fishing.

Also called: calango, tira-vira, sand diver, lizardfish

forecast for sand diver where found

common size: 30–42 cm
maximum: 46 cm
common weight: 0.3–0.8 kg
record/max.: 1.0 kg
depth: 3–320 m
ideal water: 23–29 °C

overview

who is the sand diver

The calango (Synodus intermedius), the "sand diver" of English-speaking fishers, is, according to FishBase, the most common lizardfish in the Antilles. It sits on sandy bottoms around rocks or in sand corridors between reef patches, from 3 to 320 m and usually up to 60 m, and is uncommon near shore. It ranges from Bermuda, North Carolina and the northern Gulf of Mexico to Santa Catarina. It reaches 46 cm and 1 kg, and is common at 40 cm. It has a small commercial fishery and aquarium use. Like its relatives, it is an ambush predator with a large mouth and sharp teeth.

fun facts

FishBase describes it as the most common lizardfish in the Antilles.
It is sold for aquariums, according to FishBase.
The English name is "sand diver": literally, a diver in the sand.

how to recognize it

identification

Elongated body; adults beige to olive, with irregular yellow stripes along the body, 9 to 13 dark bars on the body and a small rectangular black spot on the shoulder. Dorsal with 11 to 12 soft rays and anal with 11; the cheek has 6 to 8 rows of scales and the lateral line 49 to 52 pored scales. In preserved specimens the tail shows 3 to 6 dark bars. The lagartixa (S. foetens) lives shallower, in bays, and has the cheek with 6 to 7 rows of scales and a triangular, pointed snout.

how sand diver fishing looks

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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.

distribution

where found

open on the large map

According to FishBase it ranges from Bermuda, North Carolina and the northern Gulf of Mexico to Santa Catarina. In Brazil, the species' latitude range (37°N to 30°S) covers all four coasts, and ICMBio has a national assessment profile. In Latin America, FishBase lists Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas, Nicaragua and the Caribbean islands; Ecuador is also on the country list, but the distribution described is only for the western Atlantic.

Habitat: Sandy bottoms around rocks or in sand corridors between reef patches, from 3 to 320 m (usually up to 60 m). Uncommon near the coast.

coast

North CoastNortheast CoastSoutheast CoastSouth Coastcoastalshelf

calendar and clock

when to fish

best season

time of year

JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Resident fish of sandy bottoms and reefs, caught all year. We found no harvest calendar; the weights in the app are estimates.

best time of day

Daytime, with peaks at dawn and dusk. Ambush predator that hunts by sight; should be more active by day and at dusk. Editorial estimate; we found no study of its activity rhythm.

weather, water and behavior

what affects the sand diver
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.

cold and cold fronts

Subtropical and tropical water fish: cold water makes it sluggish.

atmospheric pressure

Small effect.

moon

Small effect.

rain

Little effect on the bottom, far from shore.

water level

Not applicable at sea.

noise

Still and camouflaged on the sand; noise scares it off little.

wind

Strong wind makes it hard to keep the bait on the bottom.

tide

Tidal current brings food to the edges of reefs and sand corridors.

depth

From 3 to 320 m; usually up to 60 m.

technique, gear and bait

how to fish

Natural bait on the bottom Bottom fishing from a boat Bottom casting

rod: 6' to 7', 8 to 20 lb
spinning / baitcasting reel: spinning reel 2500 to 4000
line: braided line 15 to 25 lb
leader: fluorocarbon 30 to 40 lb (teeth cut thin line)
hook: single 1/0 to 3/0 hook

lures

jig heads with silicone tail
small metal jigs

natural baits

shrimp
strips of fish
lula

accessories

long-nose pliers
luvas
damp cloth

tip from an angler

When the bottom is sand near rocks and the baits come back cut, it is likely lizardfish: move to another spot or use a heavier leader.

what the law says

rules for the sand diver

Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
Conservation: Not on the Brazilian national list (Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667/2026). ICMBio published a national assessment profile in 2025; the category was not checked for this profile. We found no specific federal rule for the species.

Colombia: AUNAP license and catch-and-release in sport fishing

Individual AUNAP license; catch-and-release guidanceconfirm with the agency

AUNAP Resolution 0549 of 2022 sets the guidelines for recreational sport fishing in Colombia. Anglers need a permit: for an individual, Colombian or foreign, it is a personal, non-transferable card. The rule makes "catch and release" the guidance and admits keeping only part of the catch for personal consumption, respecting the minimum sizes it sets. We did not confirm the daily limit or the minimum sizes by species: check with AUNAP before keeping fish.

Source: Resolución AUNAP 0549 of 2022 (fishing management guidelines for sport fishing for recreational purposes), arts. 6 and 8; Official Gazette of Mar 25, 2022

catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.

Hold it with a damp cloth and remove the hook with long-nose pliers: it has many sharp teeth. If it comes from deeper than 30 m, return it to the bottom with a descender.

in the kitchen

FishBase records it in small commercial fishing and as an aquarium fish, and has no culinary review.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

total length (cm)

Length-weight relationship W = a·L^b (a = 0.00525, b = 3.21; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.

estimated weight

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sources and references

The season weights (months), the time of day and the sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water and noise) are the app's editorial estimates, based on the literature below and on the field experience of anglers and guides. They are not official data nor a measurement made for this species, and they may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the norm and a link.

scientific FishBase: Synodus intermedius (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Synodus intermediusNames by country and language. Calango and tira-vira are on the list in Portuguese.
official Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026: Lista Nacional Oficial de Espécies da Fauna Ameaçadas de Extinção (peixes e invertebrados aquáticos)The species is not on the list. Checked in the DOU of April 28, 2026.
scientific IUCN Red List: Synodus intermedius (avaliação global: Pouco Preocupante, LC, 29/01/2013)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase profile (Red List, version 2025-2).
official ICMBio/SALVE: Ficha de Synodus intermedius (avaliação nacional do risco de extinção)National assessment by ICMBio, published in 2025. DOI checked in Crossref on Oct 13, 2026; the assigned category was not checked for this profile.
scientific Carpenter, K. E. (org.) (2002). The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. Vol. 2: Bony fishes part 1 (Acipenseridae to Grammatidae). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. Roma: FAO.Reference identification guide for the species' families in the western Atlantic. Index checked Oct 13, 2026.
official AUNAP (Colômbia): Resolução 0549 de 2022, lineamientos de ordenación pesquera para la pesca deportiva con fines recreativosWe checked, in a partial transcript of the text, what the rule says about the personal license (art. 6) and about "catch and release" as the premise, with retention for personal consumption only within minimum sizes (art. 8). We could not read the articles on the daily limit and minimum sizes, so those figures are left out. Only the Colombian rule was consulted for this species; Mexico is not among the countries in the profile, and for the other countries we did not confirm specific rules.

don't confuse

similar species

Synodontidae

Inshore lizardfish

Synodus foetens

A flat-headed, large-mouthed ambush predator of sand, mud and seagrass bottoms in bays and estuaries. It gets hooked all the time by accident, and sport anglers see it as a nuisance.

EstuarySea

time of year