Home/Species/ Southern Flounder

Paralichthys lethostigma

Jordan and Gilbert, 1884

Southern Flounder

G5Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →

G5SecureGlobal Rank

Near threatenedIUCN

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100470

Element CodeAFCTA02010

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVertebrate Animal

IUCNNear threatened

Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

KingdomAnimalia

PhylumCraniata

ClassActinopterygii

OrderCarangiformes

FamilyParalichthyidae

GenusParalichthys

Concept Reference

Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott. 1991. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 20. 183 pp.

Conservation Status

Review Date1996-09-25

Change Date1996-09-25

Range Extent Comments

North Carolina to Jupiter Inlet, Florida, and from Caloosahatchee estuary, Florida, to Texas or northern Mexico; absent from southern Florida. Apparently most abundant in western Gulf of Mexico. Stocked in freshwater lakes near Austin, Texas.

Occurrences Comments

This species is represented by a large number of subpopulations and locations.

Threat Impact Comments

Localized threats may exist, but on a range-wide scale no major threats are known.

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Coastal and estuarine waters; seems to prefer muddy substrates. Often enters fresh waters. Spawns offshore; adults move out of estuaries and bays; postlarvae and juveniles move into estuaries from January to early summer (Manooch 1984).

Reproduction

Spawns in fall and winter; eggs hatch in about 3 days at 63 F; sexually mature in 2 years (Manooch 1984).

Other Nations (1)

United StatesN5

Province	Rank	Native
Alabama	S5	Yes
Mississippi	S5	Yes
Georgia	S4	Yes
South Carolina	S3	Yes
Louisiana	S3	Yes
Texas	S2	Yes

Roadless Areas (1)

North Carolina (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Pond Pine B	Croatan National Forest	2,961

References (9)

Boschung, H. T., and R. L. Mayden. 2004. Fishes of Alabama. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 960 pp.
Lee, D. S., C. R. Gilbert, C. H. Hocutt, R. E. Jenkins, D. E. McAllister, and J. R. Stauffer, Jr. 1980. Atlas of North American freshwater fishes. North Carolina State Museum of Natural History, Raleigh, North Carolina. i-x + 854 pp.
Manooch, C. S., III. 1984. Fisherman's guide. Fishes of the southeastern United States. North Carolina State Museum of Natural History, Raleigh. 362 pp.
Nelson, J. S., E. J. Crossman, H. Espinosa-Perez, L. T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, R. N. Lea, and J. D. Williams. 2004. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 29, Bethesda, Maryland. 386 pp.
Page, L. M., and B. M. Burr. 2011. Peterson field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. Second edition. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston. xix + 663 pp.
Page, L. M., H. Espinosa-Pérez, L. T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, R. N. Lea, N. E. Mandrak, R. L. Mayden, and J. S. Nelson. 2013. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Seventh edition. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 34, Bethesda, Maryland.
Page, L. M., K. E. Bemis, T. E. Dowling, H.S. Espinosa-Pérez, L.T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, K. E. Hartel, R. N. Lea, N. E. Mandrak, M. A. Neigbors, J. J. Schmitter-Soto, and H. J. Walker, Jr. 2023. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Eighth edition. American Fisheries Society (AFS), Special Publication 37, Bethesda, Maryland, 439 pp.
Robins, C. R., and G. C. Ray. 1986. A Field Guide to Atlantic Coast Fishes of North America. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Massachusetts. 354 pp.
Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott. 1991. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 20. 183 pp.