speckled flounder
Paralichthys woolmani · Paralichthyidae · predator
Flatfish of estuaries and shallow waters, from Mexico to Peru. It is sold fresh or frozen and is of commercial interest and of experimental aquaculture interest.
Also called: linguado-salpicado, lenguado huarache, lenguado dentón, speckled flounder
- maximum
- 80 cm
the right time
to be on the water
Choose the place and the species. The index, from 0 to 100, combines weather, sun, moon and tide with each fish's habits. Up to 28 days, with each day's confidence.
Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…
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hour by hour
slide your finger or mouse over the chart to see each hoursee hour-by-hour table
why this index at —?
choose the day
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.
the fishing month at a glance
what's the best window for the crew?
Choose how many fishing days. We compare each stretch by its average index, discount days with a warning or closed season, and show the 3 best.
trend for the coming weeks
Line: the middle value of 31 simulations of the American GEFS model. Band: where 8 out of 10 fall. Narrow, firm trend; wide, high uncertainty.
everything about the speckled flounder
who is the speckled flounder
The speckled flounder is a fish of the family Paralichthyidae that lives in estuaries and shallow sand or mud bottoms, from Mexico to Peru, including the Galapagos. It usually stays down to 22 m deep, in waters ranging from brackish to marine, and is common in some areas. It feeds on fish. It reaches 80 cm in length, and its common size is 50 cm. It has commercial use and is sold fresh or frozen. It has also appeared in experimental aquaculture trials.
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 speckled flounder; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- There have been experimental aquaculture trials of the species.
identification
Flattened flatfish with both eyes on the same side of the head, like the other flatfish of the family. The name suggests a body speckled with dots. It lives in estuaries and on bottoms down to 22 m. It can be confused with the California halibut (Paralichthys californicus), which is much larger, reaching 152 cm, and lives down to 183 m deep.
where found
In Latin America, it occurs from Mexico to Peru, including Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador and the Galapagos, in estuaries and shallow waters.
Habitat: Estuaries and shallow sand or mud bottoms, down to 22 m deep.
rules for the speckled 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 and is not dangerous. Hold the flatfish carefully by the head and release it without squeezing the body.
in the kitchen
It is marketed fresh or frozen.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00676, b = 3.16; 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: Paralichthys woolmani (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Paralichthys woolmaniNames by country and language.
similar species
where each number comes from
The weather comes from three independent global models, cross-checked hour by hour: when they agree, confidence goes up; when they diverge, the band between them shows on the chart. Beyond 16 days, we use the GEFS ensemble of 31 simulations: if 20 of the 31 predict rain, the chance of rain is 65%. Sun and moon are calculated astronomically, with no uncertainty.
The index adds up, weighted for each species: time of day (species curve anchored to real sunrise and sunset), moon (transits, rise and set, phase), pressure (3 h trend and 24 h swing), water temperature (in rivers, estimated from air temperature; at sea, estimated by an ocean model), wind, rain, clouds, tide and the month in the species' cycle.
sources for this lookup
how accurate the forecast is
Accuracy measured in the reference project (4 regions, 93 days, forecast vs. observed): maximum temperature is off by 0.6 °C on average the next day and 1.7 °C at 7 days; rain of 5 mm or more is detected 76% of the time the next day and 57% at 7 days. Detection isn't everything: the false alarm rate isn't published here yet, and 93 days in 4 regions is still a small sample. We now also measure every day, at the app's destinations: