296 



UNDERWATER GUIDE TO MARINE LIFE 



Habits: This is a giant fish which, probably because of its size, pursues its food 

 through open water more than do other flatfishes. Halibut are found in shallow 

 to deep water over mud or sand bottoms and are the object of an intensive fishery. 



Similar Species: The Atlantic halibut, Hij^iioglossus hip-poglossus, ranges from 

 the Arctic Ocean to New Jersey. In the southern part of its range, it keeps to 

 deep water. 



NORTHERN FLUKE (suMMER flounder) : ParaJichthys dentattis 



Size: Up to 4 feet. 



Weight: Averages 3 pounds. Common to 10 pounds. Up to 25 pounds. 



Distribution: Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras. 



Identification: Sinestral. Brownish and mottled with black and white spots. 



Habits: The food consists of a wide variety of large invertebrates and fishes. 

 This fish comes inshore in the summer months. It prefers sandy bottoms near 

 beds of vegetation or sandy spots among vegetation and is most often seen partly 

 buried with only the head showing. The beadv eves protruding from the head 

 give this fish away to the diver. 



Similar Species: There are several allied species found south to the Gulf of 

 Mexico. The California halibut, Paralichthys calif orniciis, is a greenish brown, 

 sometimes mottled species found from San Francisco to the Gulf of California. 

 It reaches a weight of 60 pounds. 



///^y-9. 



Fig. 175. Northern fiiike. 



Fig. 176. Starry flounder, j^-' a.- -^^ 



FLOUNDERS 



STARRY flounder: PlatJchthys stellatiis 



Weight: Averages 2 to 5 pounds. Reaches 20 pounds. 



Distribution: Coastal waters from Japan to Alaska and south to Santa Barbara 

 County, California. 



Identification: Sinestral or dextral. The body color varies. The dorsal and anal 

 fins are orange-tinted, marked with several conspicuous dark bars. 



Habits: Orcutt (1950) studied this fish in detail. The starry flounder rests on 

 various bottoms, but it avoids rock and is most common o\'er soft sand. It buries 

 itself in the bottom bv flutterina the dorsal and caudal fins, thus disturbing the 

 sand, which then falls back on its body. If disturbed, it will not mo\'e, for it 



