Flounders are a group of flatfish species. They are demersal fish, found at the bottom of oceans around the world; some species will also enter estuaries.
A flatfish is a member of the ray-finned demersal fish order Pleuronectiformes, also called the Heterosomata, sometimes classified as a suborder of Perciformes. In many species, both eyes lie on one side of the head, one or the other migrating through or around the head during development. Some species face their left sides upward, some face their right sides upward, and others face either side upward.
Citharichthys is a genus of flatfish in the large-tooth flounder family, Paralichthyidae. They have both eyes on the left sides of their heads. They are native to the oceans around the Americas, with a single species, C. stampflii off the West African coast. Most are found in relatively shallow depths, but the genus also includes species found in deep water and species that enter fresh water.
Pleuronectidae, also known as righteye flounders, are a family of flounders. They are called "righteye flounders" because most species lie on the sea bottom on their left sides, with both eyes on their right sides. The Paralichthyidae are the opposite, with their eyes on the left side. A small number of species in Pleuronectidae can also have their eyes on the left side, notably the members of the genus Platichthys.
Jenynsia is a genus of freshwater fishes in the family Anablepidae. Like Anableps species, they are onesided livebearers: some sources indicate that they only mate on one side, right-"handed" males with left-"handed" females and vice versa. However, other sources dispute this. These South American fish are viviparous.
Platichthys is a genus of flatfish native to the North Pacific and North Atlantic oceans. Despite being in the family Pleuronectidae, all three species in the genus Platichthys are often "lefteyed", i.e. they lie on the sea bottom on their right side, with both eyes on the left side.
The Poecilopsettidae are a family of flatfish in the order Pleuronectiformes, comprising three genera and 21 species. Species are typically demersal, living on marine bottoms at depths between 60 and 500 m in the Indo-Pacific and northwestern Atlantic; the deepest recorded occurrence is 1,636 m (5,367 ft) in the deepwater dab, Poecilopsetta beanii. Sizes range from 9 to 19 cm in length, though most species are usually under 15 cm (5.9 in) long. Diets consist of zoobenthos.
Rhombosoleidae is a family of flatfish in the order Pleuronectiformes, comprising nine genera and 19 species; all members of this family are right eye flounders with asymmetrical pelvic fins. Species are typically demersal, living on bottoms in temperate marine waters on the continental shelf, although some species of Rhombosolea enter fresh water in New Zealand. Most are restricted to waters around Australia and New Zealand, though the Remo flounder, Oncopterus darwinii, occurs in the southwestern Atlantic and the Indonesian ocellated flounder, Psammodiscus ocellatus, occurs in Indonesia.
Citharichthys gordae, the mimic sanddab, is a species of sanddab in the large-tooth flounder family Paralichthyidae. It is native to the eastern Pacific Ocean, found off the coast of Mexico. It has a limited distribution, found in the Magdalena Bay and along the Baja California peninsula, as well as part of the Gulf of California.
Citharichthys platophrys, the small sanddab, is a species of sanddab in the large-tooth flounder family Paralichthyidae. It is native to the eastern Pacific Ocean, ranging from the southern Gulf of California of Mexico in the north to Peru in the south.
Citharichthys gymnorhinus, the anglefin whiff, is a species of flatfish in the large-tooth flounder family Paralichthyidae. It is a demersal marine fish that inhabits the mid to outer continental shelf of the western Atlantic Ocean, in both tropical and subtropical waters. It ranges from the Bahamas and Florida in the north to Guyana and Nicaragua in the south, though larvae samples have also been collected off the coast of Canada. It occurs at depths between 35 and 200 metres, but is most commonly found in shallower waters.
Citharichthys gilberti, the bigmouth sanddab, is a species of flatfish in the large-tooth flounder family Paralichthyidae. It is native to the eastern Pacific Ocean, in tropical waters ranging from the Gulf of California in the north to Peru in the south. It occurs in shallow waters off the coast, to a maximum depth of 36 m (118 ft).
Citharichthys mariajorisae, the five-rayed sanddab, is a species of flatfish in the large-tooth flounder family Paralichthyidae. It is native to the eastern Pacific Ocean, in tropical waters ranging from the Gulf of California in the north to the Bay of Panama in the south. It is a demersal marine fish, inhabiting the sandy bottoms of shallow coastal waters at a depth between 10 and 45 metres.
Citharichthys xanthostigma, the longfin sanddab, is a species of flatfish in the large-tooth flounder family Paralichthyidae. It is native to the eastern Pacific Ocean, in subtropical waters ranging from Monterey Bay, California in the north, to Costa Rica in the south. It is a demersal marine fish, and can be found on the soft bottoms of coastal waters at depths between 2 and 201 metres.
Citharichthys abbotti, the Veracruz whiff, is a species of flatfish in the large-tooth flounder family Paralichthyidae. It is endemic to the southwestern Gulf of Mexico, found on the Eastern Mexico Continental Shelf, with Veracruz to the south and the Rio Grande to the north.
Citharichthys amblybregmatus is a species of flatfish in the large-tooth flounder family Paralichthyidae. It is native to the western north Atlantic Ocean. It has been collected at a depth of 198 m (650 ft).
Citharichthys cornutus, the horned whiff, is a species of flatfish in the large-tooth flounder family Paralichthyidae. This bathydemersal marine fish inhabits the continental shelves of the western Atlantic Ocean, in both tropical and subtropical waters. It ranges from New Jersey in the north to Uruguay in the south, though larvae samples have also been collected off the coast of Canada. It occurs at depths between 30 and 400 metres, though it is usually found in deeper waters.
Citharichthys arenaceus, the sand whiff, is a species of flatfish in the large-tooth flounder family Paralichthyidae. This demersal marine fish inhabits the western Atlantic Ocean, occurring in shallow tropical coastal waters, as well as in estuaries, bays, and lagoons. It ranges from Florida, United States, in the north to the West Indies and Brazil in the south.
Arapaiminae is a subfamily of freshwater osteoglossiform (bony-tongued) fishes belonging to the family Osteoglossidae. It includes the South American arapaimas of the Amazon and Essequibo basins and the African arowana from the watersheds of the Sahelo-Sudanese region, Senegal, Gambia, and parts of Eastern Africa. This subfamily is sometimes raised to the rank of family, as Arapaimidae. A commonly used synonym is Heterotidinae, but according to the ICZN, Arapaiminae has priority.
The Gulf Stream flounder is a species of fish belonging to the family Paralichthyidae native to waters off eastern North America.
