flowery flounder
Bothus mancus
Flatfish of coral reefs and sand bottoms in tropical waters, with spots on the upper side. It poses no danger, and is collected by divers more than caught by rod anglers.
Also called: linguado-florido, lenguado tropical, flowery flounder
- maximum
- 51 cm
- record/max.
- 1.8 kg
- depth
- 3–150 m
who is the flowery flounder
Flatfish of the family Bothidae, with a flattened body, living on sand bottoms near coastal coral reefs, usually in shallow water, and recorded from 3 to 150 m. It reaches 51 cm total length and 1.8 kg. It stays on the bottom, sometimes crawling over low reefs and bare rocks. It hunts mainly at night but is also active by day, and feeds on fish, crabs and shrimp. It is caught for the trade and aquarium markets, and is collected by divers.
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 flowery flounder; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Flattened flatfish with both eyes on the left side. The eyed side has pale spots with dark edges and many scattered dark dots, usually with three dark spots over the lateral line. The dorsal and anal fins have a row of spaced dark dots, and the pectoral fins on the eyed side have dark bars. It is told apart from Bothus constellatus, which reaches 15.7 cm, by these spots and its size.
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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 the eastern Pacific, it occurs at oceanic islands such as Revillagigedo (Mexico), Clipperton, Cocos and Easter Island (Chile). The species is common in tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific, from South Africa to Hawaii.
Habitat: Sand bottoms near coastal coral reefs, from 3 to 150 m.
when to fish
best time of day
Nighttime. It hunts mainly at night but is also active during the day.
rules for the flowery 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 poses no danger to anglers. As a bottom fish, it may suffer barotrauma if it comes from depth: release it carefully.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01072, b = 3.04; 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: Bothus mancus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Bothus mancusNames by country and language.
