Eyed Flounder
Bothus ocellatusUnlike other
fish that lie flat on
their stomachs, flounders lie on their side flat as
a pancake, with both eyes on the top-"side" of their
head. Flounders are not born that way, however. The
young swim upright, just like other fish, with one
eye on each side of it's head. As the fish matures
and starts swimming sideways along the surfaces of
the sea floor, the bottom-side eye slowly migrates
over so BOTH eyes end up on the "top-side" of it's
head.
Juveniles can be found in water as shallow as 2 feet in areas
of sand, rock and rubble. They will lie motionless,
relying on camouflage and only move when feeling
threatened. Then they will swim away in a wave-like
gliding motion over the bottom, only to stop again a
moderate distance away. Fish in shallow water will
be in the 6-10 inch size.
