Red Drum vs Summer Flounder

Sciaenops ocellatus comparado com Paralichthys dentatus

Taxonomy & Classification

Atributo	Red Drum	Summer Flounder
Nome Científico	Sciaenops ocellatus	Paralichthys dentatus
Ordem	Perciformes	Perciformes
Família	Sciaenidae	Pleuronectidae
Conservation Status	Least Concern	Least Concern

Physical Traits

Atributo	Red Drum	Summer Flounder
Comprimento Máximo	155,0 cm	94,0 cm
Peso Máximo	45,0 kg	12,0 kg
Cor	Coppery-bronze to reddish-orange flanks with a characteristic black eyespot at the upper tail base; back is darker bronze-olive; belly pale to silvery; fins match body tone with dusky margins.	Eyed side is brownish to gray-green with a mottled pattern of pale blotches; 12–14 distinct pale-edged dark ocelli (eyespots) scattered across the body; blind side is plain white; color changes with substrate.

Habitat & Environment

Atributo	Red Drum	Summer Flounder
Tipo de Água	Freshwater & Saltwater	Saltwater
Faixa de Profundidade	10-?m	10-183m
Distribuição Geográfica	Western North Atlantic from Massachusetts south through the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean. Adults favor open nearshore reefs and coastal surf zones while juveniles inhabit …	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 …
Habitat	Estuaries	Neritic, demersal, estuaries

Informações de Pesca

Atributo	Red Drum	Summer Flounder
Peixe Esportivo	Sim	Sim
Classificação de Resistência	7/10	4/10
Recorde Mundial	—	—
Nível de Mercúrio	—	—

Cuisine & Edibility

Red Drum

Firm, white flesh with a mild, sweet flavor and moderate fat; smaller fish (under 27 inches) are the best table size. Famous as 'blackened redfish' — a Louisiana Cajun culinary classic.

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.

Species Overview

Red Drum

The red drum, or redfish, is an iconic inshore game fish of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Identified by the distinctive black spot at the base of its tail, it feeds by tipping head-down in shallow water, exposing its copper-colored tail.

Summer Flounder

The summer flounder, or fluke, is a flatfish that lies camouflaged on the ocean floor. Born with eyes on both sides, one eye migrates to the left side during development. An ambush predator, it explodes upward to grab passing prey.