Kingdom : Animalia Class : Actinopterygii Family : Paralichthyidae Scientific Name : Paralichthys Size(L) : 12.5cm - 64cm (5in - 25in) Water Type : Salt Optimum pH Level : 6.5 - 8.0 Life Span : 3 - 10 years Colour : Brown, Black, Tan, White, Yellow Skin Type : Scales Distinctive Features : Flattened body often with coloured spots
- Flounders are a species of flatfish found in the Northern Atlantic and Pacific coasts.
- They inhabit the ocean floors at depths varying from the shallow coral reefs to the deepest trenches.
- There are 5 species- the Japanese Flounder, The Summer Flounder, The Winter Flounder, The Southern Flounder and the European Flounder.
- All the species have similar appearance and vary in size, color and markings.
- They may grow between 5 and 25 inches in size.
- Their markings help them camouflage and help them in ambushing their prey and protect themselves from predators.
- Flounders have a round, flat body with a tail fin that is flat and medium in size.
- They are carnivores and are known to be highly predatory.
- They hide themselves on the silted and sandy sea floor and ambush their prey, when they are spotted.
- Flounders prey and feed on small fish, shrimps, crabs and a variety of bottom-dwelling marine animals.
- Their predators rarely get to spot them as they are secretive and wonderful at camouflaging themselves.
- Their natural predators are large fish, sharks, eels, humans and other marine mammals.
- They breed and fertilize their eggs through spawning.
- Which means that the females lay their eggs in water and the males release their sperms in water and they fertilize.
- After fertilization the flounder fry hatch out in 2 weeks’ time.