Summer Flounder

Paralichthys dentatus

The summer flounder has a flat, rounded body that is brownish on top and whitish on the bottom. Adults have:

• Both eyes on the left, or top, side of the head.
• Various large spots on the top side of the body.
• A long dorsal fin that stretches from the head to the tail.

Summer flounder can grow to 30 inches or more.

Where does the summer flounder live?

Summer flounder visit the Chesapeake Bay from spring through autumn. Most remain in the lower Bay, but they can travel as far north as Maryland's Gunpowder River. Summer flounder are bottom-dwellers and usually live in the Bay's deep channels and ridges, as well as sandbars. Most summer flounder migrate offshore for the winter, though some will remain in the Bay.

What does the summer flounder eat?

Summer flounder feed on shrimps, squids and other fishes. They hunt by lying half-buried in bottom sediments with both eyes facing up, waiting for their unsuspecting prey to swim by.

How does the summer flounder reproduce?

Summer flounder spawn from late summer to mid-winter in coastal ocean waters.

• When they hatch, summer flounder larvae have one eye on each side of the head. The right eye gradually moves to the left side of the head next to the left eye.
• Summer flounder larvae enter the Chesapeake Bay from October through May. They use the Bay as a nursery area as they grow into juveniles.
• Juvenile summer flounder live among eelgrass beds in the Bay's shallows.

Other facts about the summer flounder:

• The Maryland Chesapeake Bay record summer flounder was caught in 1978 and weighed 15 pounds.
• Live minnows are good bait to use when trying to catch summer flounder, which usually samples bait before swallowing it.
• Summer flounder can live up to 20 years.