The Scophthalmidae are a family of flatfish found in the North Atlantic Ocean, Baltic Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and Black Sea.<!-- cf. Turbot and Black-Sea Turbot --> Fish of this family are known commonly as turbots, though this name can refer specifically to Scophthalmus maximus, as well. Some common names found in species of this family are turbots, windowpanes, and brills.
Discovery
The first known fossil was dated to the Cenozoic era during the Oligocene epoch. This specific fossil is believed to be from the upper Tertiary and is the oldest specimen of the family.
Taxonomic history
- 1900: The features of the family were first recorded and compared with other taxa. The relationship between scophthalmids and other flatfish became apparent.
Distribution and habitat
Turbots are benthic animals and can be found in both Marine and Brackish environments, but not in freshwater.
thumb|356x356px|Scophthalmus maximus in front of a thornback ray (Raja clavata) at the Scarborough SEA LIFE Sanctuary in England.|left
The movement of water is crucial to the species as it is a primary form of transportation. All stages of the flatfish (from larval, juvenile, to adult) use the elliptic and cyclic nature of Earth's tides in locomotion. The rising tide carries individuals shoreward and during the ebb tide they can exit the water column and sink to the bottom. This is crucial to energy expenditure, especially in migratory events between feeding and spawning grounds that take place every year. The main requirements for the taxa are fin-rays (of which make up the fins and are responsible the name of the clade) and a swim bladder (a derived trait of this phylogenetic group). In addition to those factors, flatfish have keen motion detection via "wide-set eyes" and a "lateral line system" on their head or body that can be stimulated by motion. The temperature gradient of the ocean is crucial for all marine life as some species are specialized for different regions or use temperature to direct migrations. Thus, species that reside in temperate latitudes tend to have broader preferences and tolerances then species specialized for extreme temperatures. This makes both tropical and polar species more susceptible to changes in climate. Flatfish are negatively affected by these temperature shifts and continue to decline in populations. Globally, their numbers dwindle and have been since the 1970s. The highest levels of warming ("LMEs warming at rates 2–4 times the global mean rate" In these regions a bounce-back in population is not expected. This change is not just due to temperature change, but additional factors tied to climate change (i.e. ocean acidification, oxygen depletion, and decreases in net primary production). Climate change is a multivariate problem for scophthalmids as it has led to changes in distribution and net productivity in addition to the aforementioned decreases in population. Averaging to only several meters per decade, The decrease in body size relates to the temperature change via oxygen levels. The growing restriction on oxygen levels proportional to the increase in temperature negatively affects body size, adding yet another side effect to the changing climate. Frowned upon by marine biologists, bottom trawling is harmful to the ecosystem due to the displacement of sediment and organisms as well as the irreversible damage it creates.) and the scophthalmids then respond by diving. Because of this, while flatfish do not school or directly herd as an avoidance behavior, individuals indirectly herd in the regard by which they are all migrating in the same direction. This increase in concentration is dangerous as it increases catch per trawl, oftentimes when the flatfish are not even the desired target (bycatch). Furthering their camouflage, they have behavioral modifications that work in tandem to their anatomy. Scophthalmidae share a strong inclination to bury themselves and to cease movement, fighting the desire to flee until extremely close to detection. In addition to being inclined to hiding, in the instance they are being caught, flatfish face the disadvantage of their maximum swim speed. Only able to sustain a certain speed at relatively lower rates than most roundfish, flatfish tend to respond to the trawls in short bursts and generally remain unresponsive until "approx. <1 meter away."