Marbled Flounder (Pseudopleuronectes yokohamae) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

Marbled Flounder lives on sandy and muddy bottoms in the northwestern Pacific. It does not have a native wild range in U.S. waters; U.S. Atlantic winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) is a different species in the same genus.

Appearance

Appearance: Both eyes are on the right side, and the mouth is small. The body is rounded rather than long and narrow.

Look-alikes

Winter flounderPseudopleuronectes americanus

Both are right-eyed, small-mouthed flounders. A wild catch from New England or the Mid-Atlantic is winter flounder; marbled flounder is native to the northwestern Pacific. Photos without location can be hard to separate.

Why they get mixed upThey share a genus and a similar flat shape.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: Coastal sand and mud bottoms
Range: Native from Japan and Korea to nearby Chinese seas, outside the wild U.S. range.
Preferred conditions: Adults live close to the seafloor in coastal water.

Behavior

Diet: In its native northwestern Pacific range, it feeds on seafloor worms and small crustaceans.

Name and classification

About the name: Older publications may call this fish Pleuronectes yokohamae or Limanda yokohamae.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: NTNear ThreatenedCould become threatened before long

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