Species: Paralichthys oblongus, Fourspot flounder


Paralichthys oblongus (Mitchill, 1815)
Fourspot flounder
Body and elongate oval; eyes on left side, large, close together, separated by a bony ridge; mouth long; teeth in 1 row on jaws, canine-like, larger at front, equally developed on both jaws; gill rakers moderately long and stout, 3-6+7-10; dorsal rays 71-86, origin of fin over front edge of top eye; anal rays 58-72; pectoral fins short, eye-side fin ~ ½ length of head, on both sides of body, with branched rays; pelvic fins symmetrically positioned on belly, with short bases, base of neither fin on body midline; urinary papilla on eye side, immediately behind level of anus; scales large, without small accessory scales, smooth on both sides; lateral line well developed on both sides, extending onto head, with branches to upper eye and below lower eye, strongly arched over pectoral fin, with 63-95 scales.
Brown; 2 pairs of large, dark-centered ocelli on eye side, positioned near upper and lower edges of body, 1 pair on mid-body, the other near base of tail.
Reaches 41 cm.
Lives on soft bottoms.
Depth range: 27-311 m.
Nova Scotia to the northern Gulf of Mexico.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Sand & gravel
- Mud
- Soft bottom only
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves
- Data
- Mobile benthic worms
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
- Bony fishes
- Egg Type
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- Data
- Pelagic larva
- Pelagic
- Global Endemism
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- All species.
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Extends North of GC
- All species..
- Continent
- Continent only
- GC non-endemic
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Temperate (>35N)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 41
- Depth Range Min
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- 27
- Depth Range Max
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- 311