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Home/Species/ Starry Flounder

Platichthys stellatus

(Pallas, 1788)

Starry Flounder

G5Secure Found in 11 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100452
Element CodeAFCTB01010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderCarangiformes
FamilyPleuronectidae
GenusPlatichthys
Other Common Names
Flet étoilé (FR)
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
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2017-12-22
Change Date1996-09-25
Edition Date2012-08-06
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Range Extent Comments
Range includes coastal areas from Santa Ynez River, California, north to Alaska, east along Arctic coast of Canada to Bathurst Inlet, west to Sea of Japan (Lee et al. 1980, Page and Burr 2011).
Occurrences Comments
This species is represented by a large number of occurrences (subpopulations) and locations (as defined by IUCN).
Threat Impact Comments
No major threats have been identified.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Habitat includes tidal areas with sandy or mud bottoms; typically bays, sounds, river estuaries, but also in ocean waters to depth of 900 feet, and may ascend rivers into fresh water. Usually inshore in summer, may move to deeper waters for winter. Spawns in shallow water. Larvae are pelagic.

Ecology

Abundant in central portion of its range.

Reproduction

Males mature in 2nd year at 8.7-10.9"; females mature in 3rd year at 9.4-14.3". Spawns late November-February in California, later farther north; peaks at water temperature of 11 C (Morrow 1980).
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
NunavutSUYes
Northwest TerritoriesSUYes
British ColumbiaSNRYes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
CaliforniaSNRYes
WashingtonS4Yes
OregonS4Yes
AlaskaS5Yes
Roadless Areas (11)
Alaska (9)
AreaForestAcres
Chilkat-West Lynn CanalTongass National Forest199,772
Chugach-12Chugach National Forest8,116
Douglas IslandTongass National Forest28,065
EudoraTongass National Forest195,022
Juneau-Skagway IcefieldTongass National Forest1,187,268
LindenbergTongass National Forest25,855
RhineTongass National Forest23,010
Taku-SnettishamTongass National Forest664,928
Tenakee RidgeTongass National Forest20,527
Oregon (2)
AreaForestAcres
TahkenitchSiuslaw National Forest5,799
Umpqua SpitSiuslaw National Forest2,090
References (10)
  1. Eschmeyer, W. N., and E. S. Herald. 1983. A Field Guide to Pacific Coast Fishes of North America from the Gulf of Alaska to Baja California. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Massachusetts. 336 pp.
  2. 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.
  3. Morrow, J.E. 1980. The freshwater fishes of Alaska. Alaska Northwest Publishing Company, Anchorage, AK. 248 pp.
  4. Moyle, P. B. 1976a. Inland fishes of California. University of California Press, Berkeley, California. 405 pp.
  5. Nelson, J. S. 1994. Fishes of the world. Third edition. John Wiley and Sons, New York. 600 pp.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. Wydoski, R. S., and R. R. Whitney. 1979. Inland fishes of Washington. The University of Washington Press, Seattle. 220 pp.