Summer Flounder

Q: Can you eat Summer Flounder?

Thin, delicate white fillets with a sweet, mild flavor and very low fat. Prized on the U.S. East Coast; superb pan-fried in butter, stuffed and baked, or prepared as ceviche.

Q: How big does Summer Flounder get?

Summer Flounder can grow up to 94.0 cm long and weigh 12.0 kg.

Q: Where is Summer Flounder found?

Western North Atlantic from Nova Scotia south to Florida and the northern Gulf of Mexico. Undertakes seasonal offshore migration to deeper Continental Shelf waters in winter and returns inshore to estuaries in summer. Neritic, demersal, estuaries

Q: Is Summer Flounder endangered?

The conservation status of Summer Flounder is Least Concern according to the IUCN Red List.

Q: What family does Summer Flounder belong to?

Summer Flounder (Paralichthys dentatus) belongs to the family Paralichthyidae (Large-tooth Flounders) in the order Pleuronectiformes (Flatfishes).

Abstract

A left-eyed flatfish of the western North Atlantic, the summer flounder, or fluke, lies camouflaged on the seabed, changing colour to match the substrate. Born symmetrical, it undergoes a striking transformation as one eye migrates to the left side during development. Scattered pale-edged eyespots pattern its upper side, and it grows to about 94 centimetres from Nova Scotia to Florida, migrating offshore to deeper shelf waters in winter and returning to estuaries in summer. An ambush predator, it explodes upward to seize passing prey. Its thin, delicate, sweet white fillets are prized on the United States East Coast, and the species is assessed as Least Concern.