southernflounder x
Latin Name: Paralichthys lethostigma
Species: Fish
Conservation Status: S3 - Vulnerable
This very odd looking flat body fish, has both of its eyes on the left side of its body called the “ocular”. They have a pigmented side that has different variations of brown, along with diffuse nonocellated dark spots and blotches which can change based on their environment. The opposite side of their body is white or dusky cream like. This species has very strong canine-like teeth, and a wedge-shaped tail. They on average are about 12-14 inches and 1-2 pounds. It is also common for the females to outlive the males whereas they live for 7 or 8 years and the males only 5 years.
Range & Habitat
The Southern Flounder is found in North Carolina to the Jupiter Inlet Florida. As well as from the Caloosahatchee estuary Florida all the way to Texas or northern Mexico. They are most abundant in western Gulf of Mexico and stocked areas of freshwater lakes near Austin, Texas. Typically they live in brackish bays and estuaries but sometimes go into tidal creeks and freshwater. Adult southern flounder enjoy shallow muddy bottom tidal creeks and also flooded salt marshes at high tides. While the juveniles also reside in shallow soft bottom tidal creeks at upper reaches of estuaries, they typically use submerged vegetation as both cover and for foraging.
Diet
Southern flounders are ambush predators,using their camouflaging abilities to hide and then attack their prey. Adults mainly feed on fish like striped mullet, spot, anchovy, and mummichog. But they also eat crustaceans, including grass shrimp, penaeid shrimp, and blue crabs. Juveniles prey on a wide spread selection based on their size such as zooplankton, mysids, grass shrimp, and small fish.
Life History
Southern flounder spawn during the cooler months from December to February. For their size it’s quite surprising that females have been known to lay more than 9,000 eggs at one time. When the females are ready to spawn they use ocean currents to move into estuaries and drop their eggs. The larvae then undergo a 30-60 day pelagic phase and go through a metamorphosis. Once the larvae have settled inshore they complete metamorphosis and then settle along the sea floor. The juveniles remain in estuaries throughout the entire first winter and then migrate offshore during warmer months. The male and the female both mature at 2-3 years old with males being 11-13 inches and the females 14-16 inches long. The southern flounder can tolerate a very wide spectrum of salinities, from complete freshwater to extreme salt.
Significance
The southern flounder holds a key place in the food chain. It lives and eats along the sea floor. The southern flounder also has a huge market in the fisheries world. It is a very popular seafood for people to eat. This means many fishermen make their livelihood off catching these fish.
Threats & How You Can Help
A main threat for the southern flounder like most, is overfishing. Since these species live along the sea floor buried under the mud and sand the only way to catch large quanities of them is a fishing tool called a trawl. Trawls are detrimental to the marine environments they run over completely destroying everything in their path, which is also a threat to the species. This method of catching destroys natural habitats. Which is most likely why they are vulnerable in South Carolina. Do research on trawling fishing methods and support regulations made on these tools in order to preserve the natural habitats.
Additional Resources
https://www.dnr.sc.gov/marine/species/southernflounder.html
https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/saltwater/flounder/southern-flounder/