god's flounder
Cyclopsetta panamensis
Soft-bottom flatfish of shallow estuaries and coastal waters of the eastern Pacific, down to 50 m. It is used mainly for subsistence and is eaten fresh.
Also called: linguado-panâmico, lenguado bocado de dios, lenguado panámico, god's flounder
- maximum
- 35 cm
- depth
- 0–50 m
who is the god's flounder
Flatfish of the family Cyclopsettidae, with a flat, oval body and both eyes on the left side, as in the whole family. It reaches 35 cm, and its common size is 25 cm. It lives on soft bottoms, from shallow estuaries down to 44 m, and the species is recorded down to 50 m, in the eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California to Peru. Adults form defined pairs during spawning. It is used in subsistence fishing, and the flesh is eaten fresh.
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 god's flounder; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Flat, oval body with both eyes on the left side, like the flatfish of the family Cyclopsettidae. It is recognized by its shape and habitat: soft bottom of shallow estuaries and areas down to 50 m. It lives on the same bottoms as other eastern Pacific flatfish, so location alone is not enough to tell them apart.
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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 Mexico to Peru, on soft bottoms of estuaries and shallow water.
Habitat: Soft mud and sand bottom, from shallow estuaries down to 50 m.
rules for the god's 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.
No danger to anglers is recorded. Hold the fish by the body, without squeezing, and release it carefully.
in the kitchen
Eaten fresh.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00977, b = 3.07; 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: Cyclopsetta panamensis (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 panamensisNames by country and language.
