Species profile
Winter Flounder
Pseudopleuronectes americanus
At a glance
Winter Flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) is an IUCN Vulnerable bony-fish species regulated in 19 of 66 jurisdictions tracked by CatchRules across the U.S. and Canada.
The strictest bag limit is 2 (Massachusetts); the most generous is 25 (Oregon).
Across 11 jurisdictions with stated minimum sizes, the average minimum is 12.9 in.
Confirmed by 1,040 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with Massachusetts, Nova Scotia, and New York the top jurisdictions by observation count.
Notable details
- Both eyes migrate to the right side of the head during larval development.
- Can reach 24 inches (61 cm) in length and over 5 pounds (2.3 kg) in weight.
- Spawns in late winter and early spring in coastal bays and estuaries.
- Can rapidly alter its skin color and pattern to match the seafloor.
- Lives up to 18 years in the wild.
Where Winter Flounder are seen
Jurisdictions with rules for Winter Flounder
Background
The winter flounder, also known as the black back, is a right-eyed ("dextral") flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae. It is native to coastal waters of the western north Atlantic coast, from Labrador, Canada to Georgia, United States, although it is less common south of Delaware Bay. It is the most common near-shore (shallow-water) flounder in the waters from Newfoundland down through…
Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Winter Flounder article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.
Other bony fish on CatchRules
Photo credit: iNaturalist / Wikipedia. Identification reference only — verify regulations with the issuing wildlife agency before retaining a catch.