324 Blackback Flounder 



Blackback or Winter Flounder 

 Pseudopleuronectes americanus (Walbaum) 



Color: Eyed side: dark gray, gray-brown, or olive green. 

 Blind side: white. 

 Distribution: Labrador to Georgia. 



Size: Reaches a length of about 2 feet. A fish 20 inches 

 long was reported to weigh 5 pounds. 

 General Information: The Blackback is a bottom-dwelling 

 form found in depths ranging from the shallow waters 

 in bays, harbors, and estuaries down to 300 feet. Spawning 

 occurs in winter and early spring. An average of half a 

 million eggs is laid by a fish each year. The eggs sink to 

 the bottom, where they stick to various objects and to each 

 other. They hatch in about 2 weeks at a water temperature 

 of 37-38 degrees. The main foods of the Blackback are 

 small invertebrates, including shellfish, seaworms, shrimps, 

 and small crabs. It does not eat when ready to spawn. 

 Economic Importance: An excellent food fish important in 

 the catch of the small otter trawlers. The Blackback sup- 

 ports an extensive recreational fishery, particularly in the 

 Middle Atlantic area. 



