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.
• Can grow to 30 inches or more.

Where does the summer flounder live?

Summer flounders visit the Bay from spring through autumn. Most migrate offshore for the winter, though some will overwinter in the Bay.

• They usually remain in the lower Bay but do move as far north as Maryland's Gunpowder River.
• They are bottom-dwellers in sandy or muddy sediments.
• Adults are usually found in deep channels or sandbars, while juveniles live in eelgrass beds in the shallows.

What does the summer flounder eat?

Summer flounders feed on shrimps, squids and other fishes. They lie half-buried in the bottom sediments, both eyes facing up, while they wait for their unsuspecting prey to swim by.

How does the summer flounder reproduce?

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

• When they hatch, 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.
• Larvae use the Bay as nursery grounds, moving into the Bay from October through May.

Other facts about the summer flounder:

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