California flounder
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The California halibut or California flounder (''Paralichthys californicus'') is a
large-tooth flounder Large-tooth flounders or sand flounders are a family, Paralichthyidae, of flounders. The family contains 14 genera with a total of about 110 species. They lie on the sea bed on their right side; both eyes are always on the left side of the head, ...
native to the waters of the Pacific Coast of North America from the
Quillayute River The Quillayute River (also spelled Quileute River) is a river situated on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington. It empties to the Pacific Ocean at La Push, Washington. The Quillayute River is formed by the confluence of the Bogachiel River, Cal ...
in
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
to
Magdalena Bay Magdalena Bay ( es, BahĂ­a Magdalena) is a long bay in ComondĂș Municipality along the western coast of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. It is protected from the Pacific Ocean by the unpopulated sandy barrier islands of Isla Magdalen ...
in
Baja California Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...
. It feeds near shore and is free swimming. It typically weighs 6 to 30 pounds (3 to 23 kg). It is much smaller than the larger and more northern-ranging
Pacific halibut The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
that can reach 300 pounds (140 kg). This is an unusual fish in that one eye has to migrate around from one side to the other as it grows from an upright fry or baby fish into an adult fish that lies on its side. The adult has two eyes on the up-side as it lies on the bottom. Most flatfish are generally either right-eyed or left-eyed, but the California halibut is unusual in having a roughly even number of each type. Like other
flatfish A flatfish is a member of the Ray-finned fish, ray-finned demersal fish order (biology), order Pleuronectiformes, also called the Heterosomata, sometimes classified as a suborder of Perciformes. In many species, both eyes lie on one side of the ...
, the halibut hides under sand or loose gravel and blends into the bottom.


References

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External links


Dr. Larry Allen of CSUN.edu on California Halibut

California Halibut is key fish of oldest fishing tournament in Southern California - MDR Halibut Derby



California World Record Halibut


Further reading

*Miller, D.L. and R.N. Lea. 1972. ''Guide to the coastal marine fishes of California''. Calif. Dept. Fish and Game, Fish Bull. 157. 299 p *Oda, D. 1991. Development of eggs and larvae of California halibut ''Paralichthys californicus'' and fantail sole ''Xystreurys liolepis'' (Pisces: Paralichthyidae). ''Fishery Bulletin'', U.S. 89:387-402. {{Taxonbar, from=Q942266
California halibut The California halibut or California flounder (''Paralichthys californicus'') is a large-tooth flounder native to the waters of the Pacific Coast of North America from the Quillayute River in Washington to Magdalena Bay in Baja California. It f ...
Fauna of California Fauna of the Baja California Peninsula Fish of the Gulf of California Fish of the Western United States Sport fish Fauna of the San Francisco Bay Area
California halibut The California halibut or California flounder (''Paralichthys californicus'') is a large-tooth flounder native to the waters of the Pacific Coast of North America from the Quillayute River in Washington to Magdalena Bay in Baja California. It f ...