Starry Flounder
Platichthys stellatus
Summary 4
The starry flounder (Platichthys stellatus) is a common flatfish found around the margins of the North Pacific.
Biology 5
Found inshore, often in very shallow water and in estuaries during the summer; moving into deeper water in the winter (Ref. 27547). However, they may occur in deep water throughout the year (Ref. 27547). Does not venture into water of high salinities (Ref. 28899). Young and adults move up rivers, as much as 120 km (Ref. 27547). Benthic (Ref. 58426). Feeds on crustaceans, worms, small mollusks, brittle stars, and small fishes (Ref. 6885). Important game fish (Ref. 2850). Utilized fresh and frozen; eaten steamed, fried, boiled, microwaved, and baked (Ref. 9988).
Diagnostic description 6
Distinguished by the presence of both eyes on the same side of the head, dorsal and anal fins that are marked with dark and light (white to orange) bars, and especially, by the stellate, bony tubercles scattered over its body (Ref. 27547). Dorsal originates over middle of upper eye; anal with a sharp, forward pointing spine (often buried in skin) before first ray; pectorals are bluntly pointed; caudal slightly rounded (Ref. 27547). Eyed side dark brown to nearly black, sometimes with indefinite blotchings (Alaskans specimens sometimes with a greenish tinge); blind side white to creamy; dorsal fin with 4 to 7 dark bars with white to orange spaces between; anal fin with 4 to 6 such bars; caudal fin with 3 or 4 dark longitudinal bars on its posterior part; in rare cases, the blind side may be partly or completely colored like the eyed side, or white may be present on the eyed side, creating a piebald effect (Ref. 27547, 28897, 28898).
Habitat 7
Habitat Type: Freshwater
Comments: Habitat includes tidal areas with sandy or mud bottoms; typically bays, sounds, river estuaries, but also in ocean waters to depth of 900 feet, and may ascend rivers into fresh water. Usually inshore in summer, may move to deeper waters for winter. Spawns in shallow water. Larvae are pelagic.
Trophic strategy 8
Comments: Benthic feeder. In salt/brackish water its diet consists of: crabs, polychaetes, molluscs, amphipods, copepods and other invertebrates. In freshwater may eat insect larvae. Type of food changes with size of fish; large flounder eat fishes.
Sources and Credits
- (c) Travis, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.flickr.com/photos/51378257@N00/4737401702
- (c) NOAA Photo Library, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://www.flickr.com/photos/51647007@N08/5019894559
- Stickpen, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Platichthysstellatus.jpg
- Adapted by Marisa Rafter from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platichthys_stellatus
- (c) FishBase, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/21009389
- (c) FishBase, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/21009390
- (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/26621438
- (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/26621439
