: any of an order (Pleuronectiformes) of marine typically bottom-dwelling bony fishes (such as the halibuts, flounders, turbots, and soles) that as adults swim on one side of the laterally compressed body and have both eyes on the upper side
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There are about 600 species of flatfish, which have oval, flattened, bony bodies and are found from tropical to cold waters. Flounder and turbot are two examples. Most flatfish species live at moderate depths along the continental shelf, but some enter or live permanently in freshwater. Flatfishes are carnivorous bottom-dwellers that habitually rest on one side. Both eyes are on one side of the head. The side of the fish with eyes (uppermost as it lies on the bottom) is pigmented, but the lower side is normally white. Some flatfish change color to blend with their surroundings. Species vary from 4 in (10 cm) to 7 ft (2 m) long, and some (for example, the Atlantic halibut) may weigh as much as 720 lb (325 kg).
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebIn 2019, the bottom-trawl fleet’s incidental take, or bycatch, of halibut tallied nearly 3.1 million pounds as vessels used huge nets to scoop up 635.4 million pounds of yellowfin sole and other flatfish. Hal Bernton, Anchorage Daily News, 14 Dec. 2021 Fishing continued for cod, flatfish, pollock and more in the Bering Sea.Anchorage Daily News, 9 Aug. 2021 The largest decreases in value from 2019 included a 67% drop for herring, a 61% reduction in salmon, a 37% drop in halibut revenues, down 30% for cod, and a 17% decrease in the value of flatfish.Anchorage Daily News, 19 Jan. 2021 Local flatfish, such as sole, sand dabs and flounder, tend to be lean and are more difficult.SFChronicle.com, 27 Sep. 2020 Fisheries also are still underway for Alaska pollock, flatfish, scallops and much more in both regions, along with a food and bait herring fishery near Dutch Harbor.Anchorage Daily News, 18 Aug. 2020 The world record is the 469-pound flatfish caught by Jack Tragis of Fairbanks in 1996 near Dutch Harbor. Beth Bragg, Anchorage Daily News, 25 Aug. 2019 The closure during the heart of the fall flounder run will have a negative economic impact on guides who depend on the flatfish for income. Matt Wyatt, ExpressNews.com, 23 May 2020 Live mullet or killifish are by far the best bait but a jig tipped with shrimp and worked slowly along bottom also catches some of these tasty flatfish. Frank Sargeant, al, 15 Nov. 2019 See More