The starry flounder, Platichthys stellatus, is one of about 100 species of Right-eye Flounders in the family Pleuronectidae, 22 species from the Gulf of Alaska to California. You may notice that the flounder shown here is a left-eyed flounder; in our area 60-70% are left-eyed. Starry flounders are common on soft bottom near shore, often in estuaries, out to 274 m. They range along the Pacific coast of North America from Alaska to Santa Barbara, California, and from the Bering Sea, Alaska to Japan. Starry Flounder are recognized for their rough, "stellate" skin and the dark bands on the dorsal, anal and caudal fins.

Scientific name: Greek platy (flat) and ichthys (fish); and Latin for stellatus (starry).

Digital photo by Jan Haaga. References (a complete list) in the text include: Kessler (1985), Eschmeyer et al. (1983), and Hart (1973).

Return Aquarium fish