bigeye flounder
Hippoglossina macrops
Soft-bottom flounder of the eastern Pacific, from 35 to 600 m. It is caught by trawl on a local scale and used fresh or as fishmeal.
Also called: linguado-de-olho-grande, lenguado de ojo grande, lenguado de ojos grandes, bigeye flounder
- depth
- 251–300 m
who is the bigeye flounder
The bigeye flounder is a fish of the family Paralichthyidae of soft bottoms, recorded in Chile, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Panama. Its exact range is not well known, but it may extend from Mazatlán, Mexico, to Chile. It occurs from 35 to 600 m deep, but is most common between 251 and 300 m, in northern Chile. Its common size is 35 cm. It feeds mainly on bottom crustaceans, such as prawns and deepwater shrimp. It is caught with trawl nets on a local 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 bigeye flounder; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- It has been recorded at 600 m deep.
identification
Flatfish with a short, deep, brown body, with indistinct dark spots on the body and fins. The tail is rounded and the pectoral fins are small. It belongs to the same genus as the spotted flounder (Hippoglossina bollmani) and looks similar, but is usually found deeper, at 251 to 300 m in northern Chile, and its common size is larger: 35 cm, against 18 cm for the other.
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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 occurs in Chile, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Panama, on soft bottoms of deep water. Its exact range is not well known and may extend from Mazatlán, Mexico, to Chile.
Habitat: Soft bottoms, from 35 to 600 m, most often between 251 and 300 m.
rules for the bigeye 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 has no spines or venom. As it lives on deep bottoms, release it carefully to avoid barotrauma.
in the kitchen
It is used fresh or as fishmeal.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00741, b = 3.17; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). 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: Hippoglossina macrops (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Hippoglossina macropsNames by country and language.
