Family: Pleuronectidae, Righteye Flounders view all from this family

Description To 28" (70 cm). Flat, oval, elongate; scales smooth. Eyes on right side of body. Eyed side plain olive-brown; blind side white. Dorsal and anal fins have darker blotches, fringe most of body; tail fin squared. 82-103 dorsal fin rays; 62-80 anal fin rays. No arch in lateral line over pectoral fin. Snout fairly sharp; mouth large, maxilla reaching middle of lower eye.

Similar Species Rock Sole (Lepidopsetta bilineata), to 24" (61 cm), has lateral line arched over pectoral fin, 67-82 dorsal fin rays, and 51-64 anal fin rays; occurs from Bering Sea to Tanner Bank, California.

Habitat Shallow waters in summer; deeper in winter, to 1,500' (450 m) deep.

Range Bering Sea to Isla Coronados, Baja California; more common north of Monterey.

Discussion Soles, flounders, and halibuts are members of the order Pleuronectiformes, the flatfishes. When first hatched, flatfishes have one eye on either side of the head, like any other vertebrate, but as they develop one eye moves to the opposite side. In some families, the eyes are on the left side; other families have the eyes on the right side. The eyed side is usually pigmented, and the blind side has very little pigment or is plain white. Many species are capable of remarkable instantaneous color changes to match their environment. Flatfishes live on the ocean bottom, resting with the blind side downward; they swim on their side with the eyes facing upward. They usually lie partially buried on the seafloor and dart quickly upward to seize passing prey.