Species: Bothus ocellatus, Eyed Flounder

Bothus ocellatus (Agassiz in Spix & Agassiz, 1831)

Eyed Flounder

Body a deep oval, its depth 61-67% 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 longer than snout; eyes with poorly developed tentacles in adult; mouth moderate, ends under front half of eye; teeth small, on both sides of both jaws; 8-10 (usually 9) lower gill rakers; dorsal rays 76-91; anal rays 58-68; pectoral rays not branched, eye-side fin 8-10, upper rays 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 70-78; lateral line on eye side only, strongly arched above the pectoral, no branch under lower eye.

Brown to tan; body strongly marked with brown to tan rosettes, those in 3 dark clusters along the lateral line; base of tail fin with a pair of dark spots, one on each side.

Size: reaches 16 cm.

Habitat: sand bottoms.

Depth: 1-150 m.

New York to southern Brazil.