[2] Later studies referred them to as belonging to the species Synodus doaki, which also occurs in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.

In 2009, American ichthyologist John Ernest Randall classified the Rapa Nui lizardfish as a separate species, Synodus isolatus.

The holotype for this species, BPM 39162, was collected at a depth of 10 m (33 ft) near Motu Tautara off the west coast of Rapa Nui and is housed at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii.

[4] Individuals collected from deeper depths tend to show a distinct reddish color, but otherwise possess the same features as shallower-dwelling members of the species.

[1] Most suggestions to improve any conservation concerns for this species center the netting used in trawling, though Randall wrote that individuals were more likely to be caught with a hook and line in 2009 and 2011, and collected the holotype specimen with a spear.