Flounder (smooth) are found in cold and shallow northern waters on muddy bottoms.

They are much larger fishes that includes the halibut (Hippoglossus), fluke ( Paralichthys), the plaice (Pleuronectes) and the dab (Limanda). Solea solea is an European species of flatfish that measures 2-ft (61-cm) found from the Mediterranean to the North Sea is a valuable food fish being a source of fillet of sole. It prefers warm and shallow water having sandy or muddy bottom and are too small or bony for food. It has small close-set eyes with small and twisted mouths having few to no teeth. They could be divided into three groups: the soles, families Soleidae, Cynoglossidae, and Achiridae and the flounders, families Achiropsettidate, Citharidae, Bothidae, Pleuronectidae, Paralichthyidae, Scophthalmidae and Samaridae and the spiny turbots, family Psettodidae.Īmerican soles are several Atlantic or one Pacific species. (10 cm to 2 m) long weighing 720 lb (325 kg). Species could vary from 4 inches to 7 ft. Some flatfish enter or live in freshwater permanently and most of the species lives at moderate depths along continental shelf. It is adapted totally to living on sea floor.Ībout 600 species of flatfish are found such as flattened, oval and bony bodies which are found from tropical to cold waters. These fishes start their lives as normal swimming fish but gets flattened body within some weeks. They become patchy stone colored on pebbly bottoms and sand colored on sandy bottoms. Flatfish could mask themselves by resembling the color of the sea floor. Some species face its left sides upward or some has their right sides upward and others face their either side upward.įlatfish belongs to the member of order Pleuronectiformes of ray finned demersal fishes also known as Heterosomata that might be classified sometimes as a suborder Perciformes. It has got both eyes on one side of head meaning upper side one or other migrates through or around the head during development. It has some features that suit its lifestyle. It has the ability for dynamic camouflage that is under nervous control and could change in real time. It hides on an ocean floor resting for prey. Some flatfish are fished commercially such as sole, flounder, plaice, turbot and halibut.

Flat fish