Range
Southern flounder inhabit the Atlantic from North Carolina south and the entire Gulf Coast. Interestingly, there’s a gap in their distribution on the east and west coasts of southern Florida.
World Record
The IGFA all-tackle world record weighed 20 pounds, 9 ounces. It was caught in 1983 by Larenza Mungin from Nassau Sound at the mouth of the St. Johns River near Jacksonville, Florida.
Chameleons
Like octopuses, flounder have pigment-filled cells called chromatophores in their skin that change shape and size to alter their patterns and coloration. On the top side of their bodies, this camouflage alters depending on the substrate they inhabit.
Migrating Eyes
Larval flounder begin life as normal-looking fish, with eyes on both sides of their head. As they mature, one eye rotates to the other side of the head.
Left- or Right-Eyed
Southern flounder are left-eyed flounder because their right eye migrates to the left side of their body, which becomes the top side. Summer and Gulf flounder are also left-eyed. Flatfish such as halibut and the sole species are right-eyed.
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Big Mama
If you catch a 20-inch doormat, it is a female. Males top out at 12 to 13 inches and live about five years in the wild. Females live seven to eight years and grow to 18 to 20 inches or longer.
Not So Salty
Southern flounder are found in a wide range of salinities, and it is not uncommon for anglers to encounter them way upriver from the coast.
