Starry Flounder

At a glance

Starry Flounder (Platichthys stellatus) is an IUCN Least Concern bony-fish species regulated in 2 of 66 jurisdictions tracked by CatchRules across the U.S. and Canada.

Confirmed by 1,057 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with British Columbia, Washington, and California the top jurisdictions by observation count.

Notable details

• Can reach 36 inches long and exceed 20 pounds in weight.
• Uniquely among flounders, roughly half of all individuals are left-eyed and half are right-eyed.
• Bold orange, black, and white fin bands make them instantly recognizable underwater.
• Juveniles hatch with eyes on both sides; one eye migrates within weeks.
• Range spans from California to Alaska and west across the Pacific to Japan.

Where Starry Flounder are seen

• British Columbia412 iNat obs
• Washington327 iNat obs
• California177 iNat obs
• Alaska68 iNat obs
• Oregon68 iNat obs
• Nunavut3 iNat obs

Jurisdictions with rules for Starry Flounder

• CaliforniaUnited States · official source
• Federal Waters (DFO)Canada · official source

Background

The starry flounder (Platichthys stellatus) is a common flatfish found around the margins of the North Pacific.

Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Starry Flounder article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.

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