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God's flounder (Cyclopsetta panamensis) — Paralichthyidae

God's flounder

Cyclopsetta panamensis
LC · Least Concern

The God's flounder (Cyclopsetta panamensis) is a brackish-water fish of the family Paralichthyidae that grows up to 35 cm.

Length
35 cm
Water
Brackish
Depth
0.0–50.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The Panama flounder is a lefteye flatfish of the sand flounder family (Paralichthyidae) from the eastern Pacific. The species has a flattened, oval body with both eyes on the left side, a large mouth and a mottled upper surface that camouflages it on the bottom. It inhabits soft bottoms, from shallow estuaries to about 44 m deep. As a bottom predator it lies partly buried and ambushes small fishes and crustaceans. It is marketed fresh. The species is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the God's flounder?

The God's flounder has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly brown and shows a spots pattern.

Where does the God's flounder live?

The God's flounder lives in brackish water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the God's flounder get?

The God's flounder grows to a maximum of about 35 cm. On average the species is around 25 cm.

Is the God's flounder dangerous to humans?

No, the God's flounder is harmless to humans.

Is the God's flounder edible?

Yes, the God's flounder is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Panama-bot sourced
English name
God's flounder verified
Scientific name
Cyclopsetta panamensis
Family
Paralichthyidae
Other names
Panamic flounder verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
35.0 verified
Average length (cm)
25.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Brown inferred
Pattern
Spots inferred
Tail shape
Rounded inferred
Mouth position
Terminal inferred
Lips
Thick / fleshy inferred
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous inferred
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Brackish sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
0.0 verified
Max depth (m)
50.0 verified
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Solitary inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten sourced
Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Cyclopsetta

More from the family Paralichthyidae

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