Flounder is also the name of a character from Disney's The Little Mermaid.

Winter flounder

Flounder are a flatfish that inhabit ocean waters along the east coast of the United States and Canada. Flounder lie on their left sides on the ocean floor; in adulthood, both eyes are situated on the right, upward-facing side of its body, and are aligned along a roughly 70° angle. Flounder sizes typically vary from five to fifteen inches, though they sometimes grow as long as two feet in length. Their breadth is about one-half of their length. The flounder feeding ground is the soft mud of the sea bottom, near bridge spiles, docks, and other bottom incumbrances; they are sometimes found on bass grounds as well. Their diet consists of fish spawn, mussels and insects.

Fishing and cooking

Flounder fishing is best in spring and fall. Flounder may be caught in summer, but the meat will be soft and unpleasant for eating. Flounder will bite at almost anything used for fish bait, including any kind of tackle. Use a small hook; No. 8 being the recommended size. Flounder are an excellent pan fish, but they should be cooked as soon as possible after being caught. They are plentiful on the shores of Long Island Sound, in New York Bay, and in the inlets of New Jersey. The Boston market is abundantly supplied with them from the numerous fishing grounds in that area.

Flounder families

The fishes in the following families are called flounders. All the families belong to the order Pleuronectiformes, the flatfish.

• Achiropsettidae (Southern flounders)
• Bothidae (Lefteye flounders)
• Pleuronectidae (Righteye flounders)

External links

• Flounder nutrition information