Bi-monthly otter trawl sampling programme using a stratified random design was carried out at Sepetiba Bay (22º54'-23º04'S; 43º34'-44º10'W), from August 1994 to July 1996, aiming to assess the flatfish species composition and their relative abundance. Fourteen species in eight genera, four families and one suborder were identified. Paralichthyidae is the most diverse and abundant family, contributing to 70% of total number of individuals and to 58,8% of total biomass, being comprised of nine species: Etropus crossotus (Jordan & Gilbert, 1882); E. longimanus (Norman, 1933); Citharichthys spilopterus (Günther, 1862); C. arenaceus (Evermann & Marsh, 1902); C. macrops (Dresel, 1889); Paralichthys orbignyanus (Valenciennes, 1847); P. brasiliensis (Ranzani, 1840); P. patagonicus (Jordan, 1889) e Syacium papillosum (Linnaeus, 1758). Etropus crossotus was the most abundant species amounting 52,5% of the total number and 31,3% of the biomass of Pleuronectiformes, being widespread all over the study area. Additional comments on the species occurrence and their distribution over the Western Atlantic are given and compared to their relative abundance in the Sepetiba Bay.
Flatfish; Pleuronectiformes; Paralichthyidae; Sepetiba Bay