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Description:
Southern flounder grow to 3 feet in length and can weigh as much as 24
pounds. Body color is tan to dark brown with diffuse dark spots and
blotches. The blindside is white or dusky. P. lethostigma is a left-eye
flounder, thus it lies on its right side, and at metamorphosis, the right eye
migrates to the left side of the head. There are 85 - 100 scales along the
lateral line.
Habitat:
Typical habitat for the southern flounder is in sand or mud bottoms of
estuaries and coastal waters in depths less than 70 fathoms.
Similar Species:
The southern flounder is sometimes
confused with the gulf flounder, Paralichthys albigutta. The two are easily
distinguished based on the much smaller size of the gulf flounder, which grows
only to 15 inches. Additionally, the gulf flounder has 3 distinct
spots: 2 vertically placed posterior to the pectoral fins, and 1 placed inside
the base of the tail.
Range:
The southern flounder occurs from North Carolina south through Florida and
the Gulf of Mexico to Texas.
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The southern flounder, Paralichthys lethostigma. Photo courtesy of University of Texas Marine Science Institute.
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Adult southern flounder migrate to offshore spawning grounds
during late fall and winter, cued by a 4 - 5°
C drop in water temperature. Males move seaward earlier than females,
but few individuals remain in estuaries after November.
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