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California Fish Website Species
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Starry Flounder, Platichthys stellatus
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Juvenile starry flounder, approximately 7.5 cm (3”) long.
Location: Suisun Marsh,
California. Date: 8/8/2007.
Juvenile
starry flounder, approximately 7.5 cm (3”) long, dorsal view.
Location: Suisun Marsh,
California. Date: 8/8/2007.
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Appearance
and Identification:
- Flat, laterally compressed
body, adults up to 60 cm TL
- Normal “sides” become
top and bottom, both eyes on one side of the head, twisted jaws
- Single pectoral fin in
middle of top side, pectoral fins behind operculum, anal and dorsal
fins extend along sides of body
- Star shaped plates give
rough feel
- White underside, dorsal and
anal fins have white to orange and black bands
- Fin rays: dorsal 52-64,
anal 38-47, pectoral 10
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Life History:
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Starry flounders are typically found in the ocean or in an
estuary, though they have been found in freshwater streams as far as 120 km
from the ocean. When flounders are
in freshwater they are primarily found in low
gradient rivers with soft bottoms.
Usually their presence in freshwater is a result of strong ocean
currents carrying the fish into an estuary.
Juvenile fish may move up into a stream during high stream flow to
take advantage of low salinities and abundant food sources. Really dry
years may result in smaller freshwater populations, though the flounders
will be found even further from the ocean.
Young fish are generally found farther upstream than older fish as
their preference for saltwater grows with age. In spring young-of-the-year flounders may
be found in waters with salinities less than 2 ppt,
but by summer time they are found in waters with a salinity ranging from
10-15 ppt.
Temperature may also play a factor in their distribution. The feeding habits of starry flounders
change as they develop and mature.
Young flounders eat planktonic organisms
from the water as they move. They
are capable of speed bursts but generally swim by floating along the
bottom. Flounders undergo a
metamorphosis which transforms them into a fish well suited for bottom
life. The morphed juveniles wait in
the soft bottom and wait to grab prey passing overhead. They may kick up mud or sand to hide from
predators. Their diet generally
includes mysid shrimp, harpactacoid
copepods or amphipods. In freshwater
they tend to feed on insect larvae found in soft substrate. Large flounders found in freshwater are
believed to be visitors, and they have to adapt as their digestion rates
decrease in freshwater. Large ocean
going flounders eat crabs, polychaete worms, and
mollusks. Starry flounders become
sexually mature at age 2 at a total length of around 35 cm. Male flounders are usually larger at this
time and actually reach greater total lengths in what may be a 7-8 year
life span. Spawning occurs between
September and March along marine shores or estuary mouths. Females produce an average of 0.9 to over
11 million eggs. The eggs and
resulting larvae are carried by water currents for 39-75 days before
settling to the bottom of the water column.
Favorable rearing conditions include warm and nearly fresh water.
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Links to Other Research
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Here's a list of California
watersheds where Starry
Flounder may be found.
© 2003 - Regents of the University
of California
Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Communication Services
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