Species: Bothus lunatus, Peacock Flounder

Bothus lunatus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Peacock Flounder

Body a deep oval, its depth 54-59% of SL; front profile with distinct notch before lower eye; space between eyes flat and much wider than eye (especially in male), lower eye well before upper, front edge of upper over rear edge of lower; eye diameter <23% of head length and shorter than snout; eyes with poorly developed tentacles in adult; mouth small, ends under front half of eye; teeth small, on both sides of both jaws; 8-10 (usually 9) lower gill rakers; dorsal rays 91-99; anal rays 70-76; pectoral rays not branched, eye-side fin 11-12, upper rays not greatly elongate in male; eye-side pelvic fin with origin under lower eye, with much longer base, situated on body midline, its origin before that of blind-side fin; lateral-line scales 83-95; lateral line on eye side only, strongly arched above the pectoral, no branch under lower eye.

Brown with numerous variable-sized blue curved spots and rings on eye side; 3 dark blotches along lateral line; large fish with dark bars on eye side pectoral.

Size: reaches 45 cm.

Habitat: seagrass and mangroves, sandy bottoms, also on rock and coral.

Depth: 0-120 m.

North Carolina to Brazil and Ascension Is & the tropical E Atlantic.