Paralichthys albigutta
Gulf Flounder
NS
G5
Collection Details
Specimens
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Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Pleuronectfiormes (Flatfishes)
Paralichthyidae (Sand Flounders)
Paralichthys
Paralichthys albigutta (Gulf Flounder)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
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Characters
Moderately elongate and oval in profile, with lateral line strongly arched over pectoral fin base, pelvic fin bases symmetrical and of equal length. Eyes moderately separated, with lower eye directly below upper eye. Maxilla extends beyond level of lower eye. Jaws symmetrical, and jaw teeth symmetrically arranged. Jaw teeth caninelike, larger anteriorly than posteriorly, and arranged in a single row. Some jaw teeth fixed, but others depressible. Gill rakers on first arch moderately long and moderately stout, number 4 to 7 on upper limb and 9 to 12 on lower limb. Measurements are expressed as percent of SL: head length 27%–30%, snout length 6%–7%, orbit diameter 4%–6%, upper jaw length 14%–16%, ocular-side pectoral fin length 14%–15%, body depth 39%–42%. Pectoral fin on ocular side has 10 to 12 rays. Dorsal fin has 71 to 85 rays. Anal fin has 53 to 63 rays. Scales cycloid and deciduous. Lateral line has 78 to 117 scales. Vertebrae number 37: 10 precaudal and 27 caudal.
Ocular side light to dark brown, with numerous spots and blotches and three relatively small ocelli arranged in a triangular pattern: two ocelli just behind arched section of lateral line and a third ocellus on posterior section of lateral line.
Distribution
Western Atlantic from North Carolina to Panama, including the entire Gulf of Mexico and the Bahamas.
Habitat Associations
Generally found on hard or sandy bottoms in depths from 19 to 128 m.
Hard or sandy bottoms
Biology
Food consists of penaeid shrimps, portunid crabs, and ray-finned fishes such as Anchoa sp., Fundulus similis, Syngnathus sp., Haemulon sp., and Gobiosoma robustum.
Maximum known size is 710 mm TL.
Spawning takes place between November and February in the northern Gulf of Mexico.
Occurs in bays, lagoons and shallow coastal waters (Ref. 7251). Inhabits mainly hard and sandy bottoms (Ref. 3275).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2013-01-29. Resilience: Medium (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish.
References
Ginsburg 1952b
Gutherz 1967
Böhlke and Chaplin 1968
Hoese and Moore 1977, 1998
Robins and Ray 1986
Boschung 1992
Castro-Aguirre et al. 1999
Munroe 2002c
Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
Robins, C.R. and G.C. Ray (1986) A field guide to Atlantic coast fishes of North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, U.S.A. 354 p.
Smith, C.L. (1997) National Audubon Society field guide to tropical marine fishes of the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, the Bahamas, and Bermuda. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York. 720 p.
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