The Righteye Flounder Family – Pleuronectidae

There are currently NINE members of the Righteye Flounder or Pleuronectidae Family, all from the Pacific Ocean,  are presented in this website:

FROM THE PACIFIC (9):

The Righteye Flounder or Pleuronectidae Family have sixty global members that are in twenty-one genera and found globally in temperate and tropical seas. In Mexican waters there is one species found in the Atlantic Ocean and four in the Pacific Ocean. They are known in Mexico as platijas. They are medium to large flounders of variable shapes with oval to elongated highly flattened disc-like bodies. They reach a maximum length of 2.6 m (8 feet 6 inches). They are all right-eyed with a straight lateral line on both sides. They have a small mouth with small teeth. The border of their gill cover is free and very evident. Their caudal fin is not attached to the anal or dorsal fins; and, their dorsal fin originates over or before the eyes and their symmetrical pelvic fins are inserted on both sides of the body. Their fins have no spines and their gill rakers are elongated.

The Righteye Flounders vary in color from light brown to dark chocolate brown with the eyed-size often having spots or blotches. They quickly lose the majority of these spots and blotches upon death and become uniformly drab brown. Their blind side is off-white. They typically inhabit sandy and muddy bottoms. They are well camouflaged and blend into their surroundings as they have the ability to change colors to match their substrate. They consume benthic fish and crustaceans. Reproduction is via external fertilization and pelagic eggs. The Righteye Flounders are poorly studied with very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns including specific details on age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, diet, habitat use, and reproduction.

The Righteye Flounders date to the lower Tertiary Eocene period, eight million years ago. Many members of this Family are considered important food fish.