Platichthys flesus

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Vernacular names
English : European flounder
French : Flet d’Europe

Classification
Class : Teleostei
Order : Pleuronectiformes
Family : Pleuronectidae
Notes : No subspecies known.

Identification
Adults can reach a total length of 60 cm for a weight of 2.9 kg. Flat fish with losange-shaped body and fairly long tail. Small mouth, eyes mostly located on right side of fish. Gray to green with darker mottling and reddish spots near eyes.

Range and habitat
The species lives in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean, from Norway and Baltic Sea to Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea. Mostly found in estuaries, on muddy and sandy bottoms, in shallow waters.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : LEAST CONCERN
CITES : Not Listed
Status : The species remains fairly common in most of its range but is known to be vulnerable to overfishing and water pollution. Status needs re-assessing.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

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