Fourspot flounder facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fourspot flounder |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Pleuronectiformes |
| Family: | Paralichthyidae |
| Genus: | Hippoglossina |
| Species: |
H. oblonga
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| Binomial name | |
| Hippoglossina oblonga (Mitchill, 1815)
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| Synonyms | |
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The fourspot flounder (also called the American fourspot flounder or just four-spot) is a type of flounder. It's a flatfish that belongs to the large-tooth flounder family, Paralichthyidae. Some scientists also place it in the Paralichthys group.
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What the Fourspot Flounder Looks Like
Like many flounders, the fourspot flounder is a master of disguise! It can change the color and pattern of its dark side. This helps it blend in with the sand or mud on the ocean floor. It can also quickly bury itself to hide.
The top side of the flounder can be light brown to dark gray. It has four big, clear black spots that look like eyes. These spots have a lighter edge around them. Two spots are on each side of its body.
This fish has sharp, strong teeth. Its underside is a pale pink color. In some areas, it looks almost clear. Adult fourspot flounders are usually about 10 to 12 inches long. The biggest ones can reach about 16 inches.
What the Fourspot Flounder Eats
Adult fourspot flounders are hunters. They mostly eat other fish. They will prey on small fish like sand lance and Atlantic silverside. They also enjoy eating squid.
Where the Fourspot Flounder Lives
The fourspot flounder lives in the western Atlantic Ocean. You can find it from the Gulf of Maine south to Florida. It might even live as far north as Nova Scotia.
This fish prefers water that is at least 12 fathoms deep. That's about 72 feet or 22 meters. It can be found all the way out to the edge of the continental shelf. Not much is known about how this fish breeds or where it travels during different seasons.
Fourspot Flounder and Fishing
People often catch the fourspot flounder using large fishing boats called fishing trawlers. These boats drag big nets through the water.
Recreational anglers (people who fish for fun) don't usually target this flounder. It's not very common close to shore, and it's also quite small. Anglers sometimes confuse it with the Summer Flounder (Paralichthys dentatus). Both fish live in similar offshore areas and look alike. They also eat similar foods.
You can tell the fourspot flounder apart by its four clear spots. Its underside is also more see-through. It has a slightly longer body shape and bigger eyes compared to the Summer Flounder.
The meat of the fourspot flounder is white. It has a very mild taste. Many people say it tastes similar to the Summer Flounder or the Southern Flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma).
 | Madam C. J. Walker |
 | Janet Emerson Bashen |
 | Annie Turnbo Malone |
 | Maggie L. Walker |
