WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

California Flounder

Paralichthys californicus

Also known as: California Halibut, Fine Flounder, Flounder, Sand Flounder, Southern Flounder, Summer Flounder

Handle with careLook, don't touch
Adult
@epic · Monterey Bay Aquarium, United States · July 20211 / 2
01

Overview

Found singly, on mud and sandy bottoms, over coastal, and deeper waters, of the continental shelf.
They feed during the day, on cephalopods and fish.
Juveniles common beyond surf line.

Flatfish, Soles and Flounders are placed in their families by location of their eyes. Their are both left eye and right eye dominant families.
Flatfish bury themselves in sand to hide from predators and use their eyes as periscopes as these can rotate 180 degrees.
During pelagic larval stage these fish are not flat but become so as they grow, their bodies flatten, and one eye migrates across the head next to the other eye.

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How to identify

Pattern
spots
Body shape
flat

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

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Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Eastern Pacific
  • Exact location · 2
LIVES IN

Found singly, on mud and sandy bottoms, over coastal, and deeper waters, of the continental shelf.

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Adult photos 2

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Discussion

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    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumChordata
    3. classTeleostei
    4. orderPleuronectiformes
    5. familyParalichthyidae
    6. genusParalichthys
    7. speciesParalichthys californicus (Ayres, 1859)

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Pleuronectiformes