bay whiff
Citharichthys spilopterus
A flounder of beaches, bays and shallow lagoons, ranging from New Jersey in the United States to Brazil and the Antilles. It is caught with beach nets and is rarely fished with rod and reel.
Also called: linguado-de-baía, linguado, lenguado playero, arrevés, bay whiff
- maximum
- 21 cm
- record/max.
- 0.1 kg
- depth
- 0–75 m
who is the bay whiff
A flounder of the family Cyclopsettidae, with a short, relatively deep body, that lives on shallow mud bottoms, from the beach to 75 m. It enters estuaries and lagoons, including very salty water, and some are found in nearly fresh water near the sea. It reaches 21 cm, and its common size is around 15 cm. It feeds mainly on zooplankton and small bottom animals. It occurs from the Caribbean to Brazil, including Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico and the Guianas. It is caught mainly in beach nets, on a small scale.
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 bay whiff; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
A flounder with a short, relatively deep body, with both eyes on the same side and long dorsal and anal fins made only of soft rays. It enters estuaries and lagoons, even nearly fresh water, and ranges from the beach to 75 m. To tell it apart from Etropus crossotus, which also lives in estuaries, look at depth: this one reaches 75 m, while the other stays mostly within 30 m.
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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.
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
In Latin America it ranges from the coast of several Caribbean countries to Brazil, including Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico and the Guianas, on beaches, in bays and in lagoons.
Habitat: Shallow mud bottoms, from the beach to 75 m, in bays, estuaries and lagoons.
coast
rules for the bay whiff
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 (Ministerial Ordinance GM/MMA No. 1.667/2026).
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 poses no danger to the angler. It is small and should be released quickly, without being left out of the water.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00617, b = 3.13; 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
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: Citharichthys spilopterus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Citharichthys spilopterusNames by country and language.
- 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.
