pacific eyed flounder
Bothus constellatus
Soft-bottom flatfish of the eastern Pacific, with both eyes on the left side of the body. It poses no danger to anglers, and its flesh is sold fresh.
Also called: linguado-folha, lenguado hoja, pacific eyed flounder
- maximum
- 16 cm
- depth
- 1–121 m
who is the pacific eyed flounder
Flatfish of the family Bothidae, flattened and strongly compressed, with both eyes on the left side of the head. It lives on soft sand and mud bottoms, from 1 to 121 m deep, and reaches 15.7 cm total length. It occurs in the eastern Pacific, from Mexico to Peru, including the Galapagos. Its flesh is sold fresh, and the species is caught commercially. For rod anglers, it is an occasional catch on sandy bottoms.
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 pacific eyed flounder; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Flattened, strongly compressed body, with both eyes on the left side of the head. The eyed side is dark brown to olive green and has no clear markings. The lateral line makes a marked arc over the pectoral fin, without dropping below the lower eye. Bothus mancus, which lives on the region's oceanic islands and reaches 51 cm, has pale spots with dark edges and scattered dots, which this species lacks.
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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
Occurs in the eastern Pacific, from Mexico to Peru, through Central America and Colombia, on soft bottoms.
Habitat: Soft sand and mud bottoms, from 1 to 121 m deep.
rules for the pacific eyed 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.
in the kitchen
Sold fresh.
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 constellatus (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 constellatusNames by country and language.
