Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean online information system

Español  Contact

Species: Paralichthys albigutta, Gulf flounder

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

flat space between eyes
large mouth, 1 row canines both jaws
D 71-85; A 53-63
triangle of 3 strong ocelli
lower gill rakers 9-12
LL arched, 78-81

Paralichthys albigutta Jordan & Gilbert, 1882

Gulf flounder

Body oval, elongate (39-48% of SL); eyes on left side; narrow and flat between eyes; upper profile of head straight; mouth large, ends under or behind rear edge of lower eye; teeth are large canines, in a single row on each jaw; 9-12 lower gill rakers; dorsal rays 71-85, its origin above center between nostrils, front rays not elongated; 53-63 anal rays; pectoral fins on both sides of body, with branched rays, eye-side fin short (not reaching to straight part of lateral line) and rounded, 10-12 rays; pelvic fins with symmetric bases, base of neither fin on body midline, fins same size; urinary papilla on eye side, immediately behind level of anus; tail with a blunt point; eye-side scales smooth and small, 78-81 on lateral line, small accessory scales to main body scales in large fish; lateral line well developed on both sides, extending onto head, with branches to upper eye and below lower eye, strongly arched over pectoral fin.

Eye side brown; body and fins with numerous spots and blotches; 3 prominent dark ocelli forming a triangle on body, 1 on each side of the lateral line just behind curved section and 1 at rear on center of straight part of lateral line.

Size: 71 cm.

Habitat: sandy bottoms.

Depth: 1-130 m.

N Carolina to the Gulf of Mexico and the Bahamas.


High Resolution Map Download

Species Data Create Report Export as Word File Export as Excel File
Salinity
  • Marine
  • Hypersaline
  • Brackish
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore Only
  • Inshore
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Sand & gravel
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
  • Submerged vegetation
  • Estuary
  • Soft bottom only
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
FishBase Habitat
  • Demersal
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Bony fishes
  • Data
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
Egg Type
  • Data
  • Pelagic larva
  • Pelagic
Global Endemism
  • All species.
  • Greater Caribbean endemic
  • West Atlantic Endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Continent
  • Continental primarily
  • All species..
  • Island (s)
  • GC endemic
  • Extends North of GC
  • Continent + Island (s)
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
IUCN Red List
  • Listed
  • Least concern
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 71
Depth Range Min
  • 1
Depth Range Max
  • 130