Peacock Flounder, Bothus lunatus
Peacock Flounder, Bothus lunatus. Underwater photograph taken in coastal waters off Bonaire, December 2019. Photograph courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah. Identification reconfirmed by H.J. Walker, Jr., Scripps Institution of Oceangraphy, La Jolla, California.
The Peacock Flounder, Bothus lunatus, is a member of the Lefteye Flounder or Bothidae Family, that is also known as the Platefish and in Mexico as lenguado leopardo del Pacifico. Globally, there are eighteen species in the genus Bothus, of which six are found in Mexican waters, four in the Atlantic Ocean and two in the Pacific Ocean. All family members are left eyed fish with an arched lateral line.
The Peacock Flounder has a deep oval body that is laterally flattened with a depth that is 54% to 59% of standard length with a front profile that has a distinct notch before the lower eye. They vary in color from brown, gray and tan and covered with small blue spots and circular blue markings. The head and fish are also spotted with blue specs and there are 2 or 3 diffuse dark patches on the lateral line. Mature fish have dark bars on the eye side pectoral fin. They have the ability to quickly change colors to match their backgrounds. Their eyes are large with lower eye being located behind the upper with a wide space in between that is wider in males than in females. They have a small oblique mouth that extends past the anterior margin of the lower eye that is equipped with in irregular double row of small teeth. Males have a strong spine on the snout while females have bony knob. Their anal fin has 71 to 76 rays; their caudal fin is rounded to bluntly pointed; their dorsal fin originates well before their top eye and has 92 to 99 rays; their eyed-side pectoral fin as 11 or 12 rays and is larger than their blind-side pectoral fin and is often erect; and their eyed-side pelvic fin originates under their lower eye and has a long base. Both eyes project on short thick stalks. They have 8 to 10 gill rakers on the lower arch. Their lateral line is prominent but on the eye side only, and strongly arched over the pectoral fins and their body is covered with rough scales on the eye side and smooth scales on the blind side.
The Peacock Flounder is a demersal species that is typically found half buried in sandy substrate adjacent to coral reefs or in seagrass meadows near mangroves. They reach a maximum length of 46 cm (18 inches). They are found at depths up to 100 m (328 feet). They are lie-in-wait active daytime ambush predators that feed predominately on fish, that include herrings and scads, and small amounts of shrimp and octopus. In turn they are preyed upon by both invertebrates and vertebrates. Their eggs and larvae are consumed by ctenophores, fish, jellyfish, shrimps and worms as-well-as by birds including egrets, gulls and herons. Juveniles are preyed upon by crabs, fish and shrimp. Adults are preyed upon by a wide variety of fishes including eels, groupers, the recently introduced highly invasive Red Lionfish, Pterois volitrans, rays, skates and sharks as-well-as seals and sea lions. Reproduction occurs in groups of 1 male and several females. They have lifespans of up to 10 years. The Peacock Flounder is poorly studied with very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns including specific details on age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, diet, habitat use, and reproduction.
The Peacock Flounder is most likely confused with the Mottled Flounder, Bothus maculiferus (front edge of top eye over center of lower eye).
In Mexican waters the Peacock Flounder is a resident of the Atlantic being found within the Gulf of Mexico from Túxpan, Veracruz, to the Yucatán Peninsula.
From a conservation perspective the Peacock Flounder is currently considered to be of Least Concern with a stable, widely distributed population. They are caught with some frequency by artisanal and recreational anglers utilizing hook and line, harpoons, nets, spear guns, and traps. They are sold commercially and marketed fresh but they are not a commercially important fish. They are also utilized by the aquarium trade, including public aquariums, at modest levels.