Flounder

FLOUNDER

Rhombosolea

VIDEO

RECORD: 

Flounder:  1.59kg, BE Skinner, 1968, Freshwater Arm

Common Sole:  0.65kg, S Gapper, 1975, Wellington Harbour

Lemon Sole:  0.42kg, P Swanson, 2002, Mercury Bay

DESCRIPTION:

There are 13 known species of flatfish in New Zealand.  The most common are the yellow belly, green back and black back flounders, common and yellow sole as well as several turbots, megrims and plaice.  For simplicity we will call them all flounder and discuss them as one.

As their name would suggest, flat fish are flat.  They are vertically compressed and are diamond shaped.  They have a tail and fins that stretch along their flanks.  Their mouths are under them (like a stingray) and their eyes are on top.

 MoF REGULATIONS:

Size:                                                                   25cm

Bag Limit:                                                          Part of 20 finfish limit

FEEDING HABITS & HABITAT:

Flounder are found over sandy bottoms where they partially submerge themselves and can be very hard to spot.  They feed on crabs and other small invertebrates that they suck up off the bottom.  Flounders are largely nocturnal and can be found free swimming at night.

Flounder especially like the sandy/silty areas around estuaries and river mouths with a bit of current.

HUNTING TECHNIQUES:

Few spearos actively target flounder and those that are speared are usually stumbled across while swimming out to a reef or something.  Because their main defense mechanism is camoflage, the hardest part is spotting them, usually only their eyes and faint outline are visible above the sand.  Once found they don't usually move and most divers will stab them with their knife or spear rather than actually shooting them.

Night diving is great fun and even the plainest sandy bottom - which flounders love - can make for exciting diving under the cover of darkness.