Pleuronectidae

Righteye flounders
European plaice, Pleuronectes platessa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Pleuronectiformes
Family:	Pleuronectidae
Subfamilies
Eopsettinae Hippoglossinae Hippoglossoidinae Lyopsettinae Paralichthodinae Pleuronectinae Poecilopsettinae Rhombosoleinae For genera and species see text

Righteye flounders are a family, Pleuronectidae, of flounders. They are called "righteye flounders" because most species lie on the sea bottom on their left side, with both eyes on the right side.^[1] The Paralichthyidae are the opposite, with their eyes on the left side.

Their dorsal and anal fins are long and continuous, with the dorsal fin extending forward onto the head. Females lay eggs that float in mid-water until the larvae develop, and they sink to the bottom.^[2]

They are found on the bottoms of oceans around the world, with some species, such as the Atlantic halibut, Hippoglossus hippoglossus, being found down to 2,000 metres (6,600 ft). The smaller species eat sea-floor invertebrates such as polychaetes and crustaceans, but the larger righteye flounders, such as H. hippoglossus, which grows up to 4.7 metres (15 ft) in length^[3], feed on other fishes and cephalopods as well.

They include many important commercially fished species, including not only the various fish called flounders, but also the European plaice, the halibuts, the lemon sole, the common dab, the Pacific Dover sole, and the flukes.

The name of the family is derived from the Greek πλευρά (pleura), meaning "rib" or "side", and νηκτόν (nekton), meaning "swimming".

Classification

In some classifications the subfamilies Paralichthodinae, Poecilopsettinae, and Rhombosoleinae are raised to the level of families.^[4][5]

According to FishBase there are 101 species in 41 genera and five subfamilies:^[1]

• Subfamily Eopsettinae
  • Genus Atheresthes
    • Kamchatka flounder, Atheresthes evermanni (Jordan & Starks, 1904).
    • Arrowtooth flounder, Atheresthes stomias (Jordan & Gilbert, 1880).
  • Genus Eopsetta
    • Shotted halibut, Eopsetta grigorjewi (Herzenstein, 1890).
    • Petrale sole, Eopsetta jordani (Lockington, 1879).
• Subfamily Hippoglossinae
  • Genus Clidoderma
    • Roughscale sole, Clidoderma asperrimum (Temminck & Schlegel, 1846).
  • Genus Hippoglossus
    • Atlantic halibut, Hippoglossus hippoglossus (Linnaeus, 1758).
      

      

      Atlantic halibut, Hippoglossus hippoglossus
    • Pacific halibut, Hippoglossus stenolepis (Schmidt, 1904).
  • Genus Reinhardtius
    • Greenland halibut, Reinhardtius hippoglossoides (Walbaum, 1792)
      

      

      Greenland halibut, Reinhardtius hippoglossoides
  • Genus Verasper
    • Barfin flounder, Verasper moseri (Jordan & Gilbert, 1898).
    • Spotted halibut, Verasper variegatus (Temminck & Schlegel, 1846).
• Subfamily Hippoglossoidinae
  • Genus Acanthopsetta
    • Scale-eye plaice, Acanthopsetta nadeshnyi (Schmidt, 1904).
  • Genus Cleisthenes
    • Sôhachi, Cleisthenes herzensteini (Schmidt, 1904).
    • Cleisthenes pinetorum (Jordan & Starks, 1904).
  • Genus Hippoglossoides
    • Flathead flounder, Hippoglossoides dubius (Schmidt, 1904).
    • Flathead sole, Hippoglossoides elassodon (Jordan & Gilbert, 1880).
    • American plaice, Hippoglossoides platessoides (Fabricius, 1780)
      

      

      American plaice, Hippoglossoides platessoides
    • Bering flounder, Hippoglossoides robustus (Gill & Townsend, 1897).
• Subfamily Lyopsettinae
  • Genus Lyopsetta
    • Slender sole, Lyopsetta exilis (Jordan & Gilbert, 1880).
• Subfamily Paralichthodinae
  • Genus Paralichthodes
    • Peppered flounder, Paralichthodes algoensis (Gilchrist, 1902).
• Subfamily Pleuronectinae
  • Tribe Isopsettini
    • Genus Isopsetta
      • Butter sole, Isopsetta isolepis (Lockington, 1880).
  • Tribe Microstomini
    • Genus Dexistes
      • Rikuzen flounder, Dexistes rikuzenius (Jordan & Starks, 1904).
    • Genus Embassichthys
      • Deepsea sole, Embassichthys bathybius (Gilbert, 1890).
    • Genus Glyptocephalus
      • Witch, Glyptocephalus cynoglossus (Linnaeus, 1758)
        

        

        Witch, Glyptocephalus cynoglossus
      • Blackfin flounder, Glyptocephalus stelleri (Schmidt, 1904).
      • Rex sole, Glyptocephalus zachirus (Lockington, 1879).
    • Genus Hypsopsetta
      • Diamond turbot, Hypsopsetta guttulata (Girard, 1856).
      • Hypsopsetta macrocephala (Breder, 1936).
    • Genus Lepidopsetta
      • Rock sole, Lepidopsetta bilineata (Ayres, 1855).
      • Dusky sole, Lepidopsetta mochigarei (Snyder, 1911).
      • Northern rock sole, Lepidopsetta polyxystra (Orr & Matarese, 2000).
    • Genus Microstomus
      • Slime flounder, Microstomus achne (Jordan & Starks, 1904).
      • Lemon sole, Microstomus kitt (Walbaum, 1792)
        

        

        Lemon sole, Microstomus kitt
      • Dover sole, Microstomus pacificus (Lockington, 1879).
      • Microstomus shuntovi (Borets, 1983).
    • Genus Pleuronichthys
      • C-O sole, Pleuronichthys coenosus (Girard, 1854).
      • Ridged-eye flounder, Pleuronichthys cornutus (Temminck & Schlegel, 1846).
      • Curlfin sole, Pleuronichthys decurrens (Jordan & Gilbert, 1881).
      • Ocellated turbot, Pleuronichthys ocellatus (Starks & Thompson, 1910).
      • Spotted turbot, Pleuronichthys ritteri (Starks & Morris, 1907).
      • Hornyhead turbot, Pleuronichthys verticalis (Jordan & Gilbert, 1880).
    • Genus Tanakius
      • Willowy flounder, Tanakius kitaharae (Jordan & Starks, 1904).
  • Tribe Pleuronectini
    • Genus Kareius
      • Stone flounder, Kareius bicoloratus (Basilewsky, 1855).
    • Genus Limanda
      • Yellowfin sole, Limanda aspera (Pallas, 1814).
      • Yellowtail flounder, Limanda ferruginea (Storer, 1839).
      • Common dab, Limanda limanda (Linnaeus, 1758)
        

        

        Common dab, Limanda limanda
      • Longhead dab, Limanda proboscidea (Gilbert, 1896).
      • Sand flounder, Limanda punctatissimus (Steindachner, 1879).
      • Sakhalin sole, Limanda sakhalinensis (Hubbs, 1915).
    • Genus Liopsetta
      • Arctic flounder, Liopsetta glacialis (Pallas, 1776).
      • Far Eastern smooth flounder, Liopsetta pinnifasciata (Norman, 1926).
      • American smooth flounder, Liopsetta putnami (Gill, 1864).
    • Genus Parophrys
      • English sole, Parophrys vetulus (Girard, 1854).
        

        

        English sole, Parophrys vetulus
    • Genus Platichthys
      • European flounder, Platichthys flesus (Linnaeus, 1758).
      • Starry flounder, Platichthys stellatus (Pallas, 1788).
    • Genus Pleuronectes
      • European plaice, Pleuronectes platessa (Linnaeus, 1758).
      • Alaska plaice, Pleuronectes quadrituberculatus (Pallas, 1814).
    • Genus Pseudopleuronectes
      • Winter flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus (Gill, 1864).
      • Littlemouth flounder, Pseudopleuronectes herzensteini (Schmidt, 1904).
      • Pseudopleuronectes obscurus (Herzenstein, 1890).
      • Cresthead flounder, Pseudopleuronectes schrenki (Schmidt, 1904).
      • Marbled flounder, Pseudopleuronectes yokohamae (Günther, 1877).
  • Tribe Psettichthyini
    • Genus Psettichthys
      • Pacific sand sole, Psettichthys melanostictus (Girard, 1854).
        

        

        Pacific sand sole, Psettichthys melanostictus
• Subfamily Poecilopsettinae
  • Genus Marleyella
    • Comb flounder, Marleyella bicolorata (Basilewsky, 1855).
    • Marleyella maldivensis (Norman, 1939).
  • Genus Nematops
    • Narrow-body righteye flounder, Nematops chui (Fowler, 1934).
    • Large-scale righteye flounder, Nematops grandisquama (Weber & de Beaufort, 1929).
    • Long-fin righteye flounder, Nematops macrochirus (Norman, 1931).
    • Small-mouth righteye flounder, Nematops microstoma (Günther, 1880).
    • Nematops nanosquama (Amaoka, Kawai & Seret, 2006).^[6]
  • Genus Poecilopsetta
    • Poecilopsetta albomaculata (Norman, 1939).
    • Deepwater dab, Poecilopsetta beanii (Goode, 1881)
      

      

      Deepwater dab, Poecilopsetta beanii
    • Coloured righteye flounder, Poecilopsetta colorata (Günther, 1880).
    • Poecilopsetta dorsialta (Guibord & Chapleau, 2001).
    • Poecilopsetta hawaiiensis (Gilbert, 1905).
    • Poecilopsetta inermis (Breder, 1927).
    • Poecilopsetta macrocephala (Breder, 1936).
    • Fowler's large-scale righteye flounder, Poecilopsetta megalepis (Fowler, 1934).
    • African righteye flounder, Poecilopsetta natalensis (Norman, 1931).
    • Poecilopsetta normani (Foroshchuk & Fedorov, 1992).
    • Poecilopsetta pectoralis (Kawai & Amaoka, 2006).^[7]
    • Tile-colored righteye flounder, Poecilopsetta plinthus (Jordan & Starks, 1904).
    • Alcock's narrow-body righteye flounder, Poecilopsetta praelonga Alcock, 1894.
    • Poecilopsetta vaynei (Quéro, Hensley & Maugé, 1988).
    • Poecilopsetta zanzibarensis (Norman, 1939).
• Subfamily Rhombosoleinae
  • Genus Ammotretis
    • Shortfin flounder, Ammotretis brevipinnis (Norman, 1926).
    • Elongate flounder, Ammotretis elongatus (Yarrell, 1839).
    • Tudor's flounder, Ammotretis lituratus (Richardson, 1844).
    • Ammotretis macrolepis (McCulloch, 1914).
    • Longsnout flounder, Ammotretis rostratus (Günther, 1862).
  • Genus Azygopus
    • Banded-fin flounder, Azygopus pinnifasciatus (Norman, 1926).
  • Genus Colistium
    • New Zealand brill, Colistium guntheri (Hutton, 1873).
    • New Zealand turbot, Colistium nudipinnis (Waite, 1911).
  • Genus Oncopterus
    • Remo flounder, Oncopterus darwinii (Steindachner, 1874).
  • Genus Pelotretis
    • Southern lemon sole, Pelotretis flavilatus (Waite, 1911).
  • Genus Peltorhamphus
    • Speckled sole, Peltorhamphus latus (James, 1972).
    • New Zealand sole, Peltorhamphus novaezeelandiae (Günther, 1862).
    • Peltorhamphus tenuis (James, 1972).
  • Genus Psammodiscus
    

    

    Black flounder, Rhombosolea retiaria
    • Indonesian ocellated flounder, Psammodiscus ocellatus (Starks & Thompson, 1910).
  • Genus Rhombosolea
    • Yellowbelly flounder, Rhombosolea leporina (Günther, 1862).
    • New Zealand flounder, Rhombosolea plebeia (Richardson, 1843).
    • Black flounder, Rhombosolea retiaria (Hutton, 1873)
    • Greenback flounder, Rhombosolea tapirina (Günther, 1862).
  • Genus Taratretis
    • Derwent flounder, Taratretis derwentensis (Last, 1978).

References