Pleuronectidae, also known as righteye flounders, are a family of flounders. They are called "righteye flounders" because most species lie on the sea bottom on their left sides, with both eyes on their right sides.
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.
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 . 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 in length, 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
The family has four subfamilies:
- Atheresthinae – one genus with 2 species
- Hippoglossinae – 9 extant species in seven genera
- Microstominae – 9 species in two genera
- Pleuronectinae – 36 species in 14 genera
<gallery>
File:Hippoglossus hippoglossus.jpg|Atlantic halibut, Hippoglossus hippoglossus
File:Reinhardtius hippoglossoides.jpg|Greenland halibut, Reinhardtius hippoglossoides
File:Hippoglossoides platessoides.jpg|American plaice, H. platessoides
File:Glyptocephalus cynoglossus.jpg|Witch, Glyptocephalus cynoglossus
File:Microstomus kitt 1.jpg|Lemon sole, Microstomus kitt
File:Limanda limanda.jpg|Common dab, Limanda limanda
File:Parophrys vetulus 1.jpg|English sole, Parophrys vetulus
File:Psettichthys melanostictus.gif|Pacific sand sole, Psettichthys melanostictus
</gallery>
See also
- Bothidae, the lefteye family of flounders