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Flathead Flounder fish identification, Habitats, Fishing methods, fish characteristics
The flathead flounder, is a demersal fish that lives on bottoms in shallow coastal waters, at depths of between 10 and 600 meters (33 and 2,000 ft). Flathead flounder inhabit the Japan Sea and Northern part of the Pacific around Japan. It grows up to 45 cm (18 in) in length. It is highly valued and widely distributed in the Ibaraki coast. The origin of the name comes from coloration. Backside is blurred the blood-red and rests of the entire body reddish. A taste of the boiled/simmered high-quality fish is excellent and is a luxury. The meat is tender and lightly seasoned with salt and dried overnight in a light texture that is delicious not soggy.
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The flathead flounder, Hippoglossoides dubius, also known as Red Halibut, is a flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae, native to the northwest Pacific, Ibaraki, Pacific coast of Hokkaido, Japan Sea coast and Sea of Okhotsk, and the coastlines of Kamchatka and Korea.
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Description:
The body is long, and the height is high, its depth is a little bigger than half of the length. Head is approximately 1/3rd in length to base of caudal fin. Mouth large, undulating and are severely angled, the mandible turned up at the tip, concave behind the tip, convex at the middle, and slightly concave behind the middle; teeth rather large and unequal; maxillary is 1/4th of the head, is reaching to posterior edge of pupil, is covered with scales in two lines; anterior nostril ending in a tube.
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Eyes are approximately 1/6th of a head length, is about opposite each other or the upper eye is very slightly behind the lower eye; separated by a very narrow space which is scaled posteriorly. Origin of dorsal begins opposite front of eye; longest dorsal rays equal to those of anal; 2 and 4/5th times in head. Pectoral fins are short and rounded, 1/3rd in head, sideline over at the site of the pectoral fins are slightly bent; fifth pectoral fin stem is the longest not branches. The center of the vertical caudal fin protruded type, broadly rounded. 4 new sensations, the front edge of the goal the ball around the lower jaw has several senses of the transport on the side of the globe. Lateral line above the pectoral fins towards some reflex also. Scales are small and covered with a tight side without a comb; all the fins are also scales of the stem.
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Key characters
Big mouth, upper end reaches the bottom center of the lower eye. The cause of the dorsal fin is located on the first part of the eye. The canine teeth are in the front of the lower jaw and some are above. Eyes are dextral. The eyes are reddish, as no bleeding. Long low not properly arched curve of the lateral line.
87 -89 Dorsal fin rays
58-67 Anal fin rays
88 scales on lateral line
10 Pectoral fins on eyed side, 6 on blind
3+14 Gill rakers
Max length: 45.0 cm.
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Color everywhere uniform dusky to grayish brown without markings except a few dark brown, blended, very irregular spots of darker, one above middle of anal, and 4 or 5 above anterior part of lateral line. Their fins developed deep brown patterns on a yellow background. Tail fin and pectoral fins masked a lime green, and a dark brown ventral.
Habitats:
The flathead flounder, is a demersal marine fish that lives on bottoms low-rise mixed with sand in shallow coastal waters, at depths of between 10 and 900 meters (33 and 2,900 ft). Many flathead flounders inhabited depth 300-500 m deep and, in the winter 100 m deep on the continental shelf of underground gathered to spawn. Juvenile fish inhabit areas around 200 m in all seasons and only migrate to deeper zones once matured.
The flathead flounder's diet varies with area and season. They mainly feed on crustaceans, shellfish, fish, and the writings of the horrible sex life.
Spawning:
The flathead flounders spawn from the late spring to autumn, from February to April at depths around 590 - 660 ft (180 - 200 meters). Female became mature at length about 30cm, males are about 26cm. The average length at 50% maturity is 27 cm and 100% maturity at 36 cm for female and 50% maturity at 17 cm and 100% maturity at 24 cm for males. Larger fish matured earlier than smaller individuals, and participated in breeding from the early part of the spawning season.
At summer and autumn mature females live in the deeper zone of <300 m depth. From late autumn to winter, mature fish congregate close to the coast and spawn around 590 to 660 ft in depth. They spawn within a restricted area where bathymetric lines curve toward a shallow area, shallowest accessible depth. Many of flathead flounders in late spring, and especially in winter migrate to lay eggs up to brackish waters. Adult spawners gathered just below the surface mixing layer where water temperature was 5–10°C. Males were always the predominant sex found within the spawning ground, likely because males spent longer periods in the spawning grounds than females. Males matured earlier and maintained sexual activity for longer periods than females within the spawning grounds. Females undergo one reproductive cycle per year and produce between 90,000 and 950,000 eggs during each cycle depending on size.
Fishing Methods:
Mostly flathead flounders caught gill net and trawl fishing. Flat and thin in the winter, but riding the fat, take as large and thick body, delicious in sashimi.
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