pelican flounder
Chascanopsetta lugubris
A flounder with a huge mouth that lives on sand, mud and clay bottoms, from the deep shelf down to nearly 1,000 m. It is taken commercially.
Also called: linguado-pelicano, lenguado pelícano, lenguado bocón, pelican flounder
- maximum
- 40 cm
- depth
- 60–3,210 m
who is the pelican flounder
The pelican flounder belongs to the family Bothidae (lefteye flounders) and reaches 40 cm. It has a flexible body and an extremely large mouth, with the maxilla not reaching past the tip of the snout. It lives on the deep shelf and the slope, on sand, mud and clay bottoms, down to nearly 1,000 m. It feeds on large bottom animals. It occurs in Brazil and other countries of the region, from the Caribbean to the Guianas, and is caught by commercial fishing.
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 pelican flounder; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- The body is flexible, and the maxilla does not extend past the tip of the snout, even with the huge mouth.
identification
A flat, flexible, short-bodied flounder with a huge mouth, its most striking trait. The tip of the lower jaw sits slightly beyond the upper one, and it has no canine teeth. It lives on deeper bottoms than other flounders in the region, such as Bothus ocellatus, and the very large mouth helps set this species 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
In Latin America it occurs in Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas, Trinidad and Tobago and Brazil, on sand, mud and clay bottoms, from the shelf to the slope.
Habitat: Sand, mud and clay bottoms of the deep shelf, down to nearly 1,000 m.
coast
rules for the pelican 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.
Conservation: Not on the Brazilian national list (Ministerial Ordinance GM/MMA No. 1.667/2026).
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 is not dangerous to anglers. Since it comes from deep bottoms, it suffers barotrauma; release it carefully and quickly.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00513, b = 3.06; 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: Chascanopsetta lugubris (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Chascanopsetta lugubrisNames by country and language.
- official Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026: Lista Nacional Oficial de Espécies da Fauna Ameaçadas de Extinção (peixes e invertebrados aquáticos)The species is not on the list. Checked in the DOU of April 28, 2026.
