All fish / Bothidae

Peacock Flounder

Bothus lunatus

Also known as peacock flounder, plate fish, flowery flounder, peacock flatfish, ocellated flounder, ピーコックフラウンダー, 孔雀鲆, 月斑鲆

A left-eyed flatfish with a pale brown body covered in bright blue rings and spots, and the ability to change colour quickly to match the sand. Keepers prize it for its camouflage and odd, gliding swimming style, though it is mostly kept by specialists and public aquariums.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

35 cm

Temperature

23 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

750 litres

Keep as

Keep singly

Diet

Carnivore: live and frozen fish, shrimp, squid and mysis, often live food at first

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Atlantic: Bermuda and Florida to Brazil, Caribbean; also eastern Atlantic islands

Breeding

It scatters pelagic eggs, and the larvae drift in open water before metamorphosing and settling to the bottom. Captive breeding in home aquariums is not known.

Good to know

It reaches over 40 cm and needs a large tank with a deep, fine sand bed; it will eat small fish and shrimps. Getting it feeding on non-live foods can be difficult.