Southern flounder facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Southern flounder |
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The Paralichthys lethostigma, also known as the southern flounder, is a type of flounder found along the eastern and Gulf coasts of the United States. This fish is very popular for sports fishing. It is also the biggest and most important flounder for fishing businesses in the western North Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. The southern flounder is called a "left-eyed flounder." This means its left side has color and faces upwards when it lies flat.
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What Does a Southern Flounder Look Like?
Southern flounders have a brown body. They have scattered spots and blotches that are not very clear. These fish usually grow to be about 12 to 14 inches long.
What Do Southern Flounders Eat?
When southern flounders are very young, they eat tiny sea creatures called zooplankton. As they grow into young fish, their diet changes. They start eating small animals without backbones, like worms or crabs. When they become adult fish, they eat larger animals without backbones and other fish. Southern flounders hunt for food both on the ocean floor and in the water above. They are considered important hunters in their underwater homes.
Where Do Southern Flounders Live?
Adult southern flounders spend warmer months near the coast and in shallow ocean waters. This is where they lay their eggs. The eggs grow into tiny larvae. Ocean currents then push these larvae into calm areas called estuaries, which are where rivers meet the sea. Here, the young fish settle into the mud and grow into juveniles. Young flounders stay in these estuaries until they are old enough to have their own babies. Then, they leave to lay eggs in the ocean.
Southern flounders can live in water with less salt. They have even been found in freshwater areas when they are young and when they are adults.
Southern Flounder Reproduction and Life Cycle
Young southern flounders live in estuaries. Most of them move to the ocean to lay eggs during the fall and winter. This happens when they become adults. Ocean currents then carry the new young fish back into the estuaries to grow. Southern flounders can start having babies when they are about two years old. Older and larger fish usually start their journey to lay eggs earlier. Female flounders grow faster and live longer than male flounders.
Southern flounders grow most during the spring and summer. Their growth slows down in the fall as the water gets colder. Male flounders usually live for about 5 years. Female flounders can live for about 7 to 8 years.
Where Are Southern Flounders Found?
Southern flounders live across the western North Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Experts have listed this species as "near threatened." This means their numbers are getting low. This is mainly because too many are caught by both fishing businesses and people fishing for fun. They are also sometimes caught by accident in nets used to catch shrimp. Sadly, their homes are also being harmed by human activities.
Why Are Southern Flounders Important to People?
Southern flounders are a very important fish for both commercial fishing and recreational fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. Many fishing businesses catch them. However, a lot of the flounders caught by businesses are accidentally caught by shrimp boats. For fun, people can easily catch them with a fishing line using a lure or live bait. Another popular way to catch flounders is by "night gigging." In this sport, people use a multi-pronged spear called a gig. They use a flashlight to spot the fish in the water at night, then catch it with the gig.
Southern flounders are also good for fish farming. This is because they can live in water with different amounts of salt. Scientists have studied using plant-based food, like soy, instead of fish meal to feed them. This helps to protect the environment.
What Does the Name "Southern Flounder" Mean?
The scientific name for the southern flounder is Paralichthys lethostigma. The first part, Paralichthys, means "parallel fish." This refers to its very flat body shape. Some people think it means "close to the sea." This might be because it buries itself in the sand and lies flat, almost like it's part of the ocean floor. The second part, lethostigma, comes from words meaning "death" and "spots." This name means "forgotten spots" or "death of spots." It refers to how this flounder does not have the big, clear spots that other types of flatfish often have.
See also
In Spanish: Achiropsettidae para niños
