Summer Flounder

Paralichthys dentatus

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• Distinguishing characteristics: Flat, colored like the bottom, left handed fish, rounded, large spots.

 

In the Wild

• Habitat:  The summer flounder lives in saltwater bays, inlets, deep water with rocky bottoms.
• Diet: The summer flounder eats small shrimp and fish.
• Predators: The summer flounder’s predators are bigger fish, crabs and seabirds at various stages in its life history.
• Size: Summer flounder grow up to 26 pounds and up to 20 inches.
• Breeding:  Summer flounder breed in deep ocean water during the winter.
• Life Span:  Summer flounder can live up to at the most 20 years.

 

 

In the Aquatics Lab

• Diet: In the aquatics lab, we feed them squid.
• Size:  The summer flounder in the aquatics lab are around 10-14 inches.
• Quantity:  We have 3 summer flounder in the aquatics lab.

 

 

Other information

• Virginia Regulations:  The regulations for summer flounder are minimum size=16 inches, possession limit=4 per person.
•  Commercial Uses:  The summer flounder is used as a major food fish.