gulf flounder
Paralichthys albigutta
A flounder of bays, lagoons and coastal waters of the western Atlantic, from North Carolina to the Caribbean, accepted in sport fishing and little used commercially.
Also called: linguado-barriga-branca, lenguado panzablanca, lenguado tres ojos, gulf flounder
- maximum
- 71 cm
- record/max.
- 2.8 kg
- depth
- 19–130 m
who is the gulf flounder
A flounder of the family Paralichthyidae, with a flattened body, reaching 71 cm and up to 2.8 kg. It lives in bays, lagoons and shallow coastal waters, on hard and sandy bottoms, 19 to 130 m deep. Like other flounders, it lies on the bottom. It occurs from the western Atlantic of the United States to northern South America, in subtropical waters. Commercial fishing is small, but it is accepted in sport fishing.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the gulf flounder; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- It forms pairs during spawning.
identification
A flounder with a short, deep body and both eyes on the left side. The Spanish name, tres ojos ("three eyes"), refers to the eye-shaped spots on the body. It prefers hard and sandy bottoms of bays, lagoons and shallow waters, while the Florida flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma), from the same coast, stays more in estuary mud.
Loading the next 7 days…
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.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
It lives from North Carolina to southern Florida, in the Bahamas, the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, and from Colombia to Trinidad and Tobago.
Habitat: Hard and sandy bottoms of bays, lagoons and shallow coastal waters, 19 to 130 m.
rules for the gulf flounder
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
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.
It is not dangerous. Hold it by the body, with wet hands, and release it carefully.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00676, b = 3.16; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa pelo gênero e formato do corpo)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Paralichthys albigutta (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Paralichthys albiguttaNames by country and language.
