toothed flounder
Cyclopsetta querna
Pacific flounder that lives on soft bottoms near mangroves, from Mexico to Peru. It appears as incidental catch and may be sold fresh.
Also called: linguado-dentado, lenguado dentón, lenguado zapata, toothed flounder
- maximum
- 39 cm
- depth
- 0–30 m
who is the toothed flounder
Flatfish of the family Cyclopsettidae, with a flattened body and both eyes on the left side of the head. Males reach 39 cm, and females may reach 43.2 cm. Its common size is 25 cm. It lives on soft bottoms near mangroves and down to 29 m deep, from the Gulf of California to Peru. It eats large bottom invertebrates and small fish. It has little commercial value, but is used fresh. It poses no danger to anglers.
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 toothed flounder; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Flattened flatfish, with both eyes on the left side of the head, like the other flatfish of the family Cyclopsettidae. The common name refers to the teeth in its mouth. It reaches 39 cm, much larger than the small sand flounder (Citharichthys platophrys), which reaches 20.6 cm. It lives on soft bottoms near mangroves, and on the same coast size is the first difference to watch for.
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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
Eastern Pacific of Latin America, from the Gulf of California to Peru, on soft bottoms near mangroves.
Habitat: Soft bottoms of coastal areas, near mangroves, down to 29 m deep.
rules for the toothed 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, but it has teeth. Hold it carefully when removing the hook and release it quickly if it is going back to the water.
in the kitchen
Used fresh, and has little commercial value.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00661, 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: Cyclopsetta querna (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Cyclopsetta quernaNames by country and language.
