Southern Flounder
Paralichthys lethostigma
A sideways sand ninja with both eyes upstairs.
Southern Flounders begin life swimming upright with one eye on each side. As they grow, one eye migrates and the fish settles flat against the seafloor as a camouflaged hunter.
Find this SeaPal in the card gallery
From field guide to game table
Bring this Southern Flounder home
See which ready-to-play decks feature this SeaPal. Try one in the simulator before you buy, or explore each full deck list.
- 2 copies
Ready-to-play deck
Blue Water Deck
Includes 2 cards featuring Southern Flounder.
- 3 copies
Ready-to-play deck
Stinging Fortress Deck
Includes 3 cards featuring Southern Flounder.
Quick dive
Creature passport
- Home
- Western Atlantic bays, estuaries, rivers, and sandy coastal bottoms.
- Favorite foods
- Fishes, shrimp, and other crustaceans ambushed from the bottom.
- Size check
- Up to about 3 ft (90 cm) — yardstick length
Tell-your-friends facts
Four wonderfully wild things
- 1
Both adult eyes sit on the left side of the head.
- 2
Newly hatched larvae look more like ordinary upright fish.
- 3
Young fish use low-salinity estuaries as nursery habitat.
- 4
Sharp teeth help it seize fast-moving prey.
Ocean superpower
Built to be amazing
It changes shade and buries itself until only its eyes show.
Junior scientist tip
What should I look for?
Scan the sand for two raised eyes and the outline of a flat body.
Grown-up research links
We used trusted science organizations to check this profile.