Starry Flounder

The starry flounder (Platichthys stellatus) is a distinctive flatfish in the family Pleuronectidae found along the coasts of the North Pacific. Unlike most flatfish species, which are consistently either left-eyed or right-eyed, starry flounder show unusual variability, with individuals occurring in both eye orientations depending on the population. It is named for the small, rough, star-shaped scale plates scattered across its skin. Starry flounder range from southern California north through the Pacific coast of North America to Alaska, and across to the Russian Far East, Japan, and the Korean Peninsula. The species is broadly common and not considered threatened, and is notable for its unusually wide tolerance of salinity.

Starry flounder are among the most distinctive North Pacific flatfish due to their bold fin markings.

• Body: oval, moderately flattened
• Eyes: variable side, either right or left depending on the individual, unusual among flatfish
• Fins: dorsal and anal fins strikingly banded with alternating orange (or yellow) and black stripes
• Skin: covered in rough, small star-shaped bony plates, giving a coarse texture
• Coloration: dark brown to blackish upper side, white underside
• Size: typically 30-45 cm The vivid orange-and-black banded fins are the single most reliable field mark, unmatched by other regional flatfish.

Starry flounder occupy a wide range of coastal habitats from fully marine nearshore waters to brackish estuaries and the lower reaches of rivers, reflecting an unusually broad salinity tolerance among flatfish. They are found from southern California northward along the Pacific coast of North America through British Columbia and Alaska, and across the North Pacific to the coasts of Russia, Japan, and Korea. They favor sandy or muddy bottoms in bays, harbors, estuaries, and river mouths, often in relatively shallow water. Their tolerance for low-salinity and even near-freshwater conditions allows them to inhabit environments largely avoided by other marine flatfish.

Starry flounder are bottom-dwelling feeders that forage over sand and mud for worms, small crustaceans, mollusks, and occasionally small fish, using camouflage to avoid predators while resting on the seabed. Their broad salinity tolerance allows them to move freely between fully marine coastal waters and brackish or nearly freshwater estuarine and river habitats, a behavior uncommon among flatfish. They are generally solitary and not strongly territorial, shifting habitat use seasonally in response to temperature and salinity conditions. Spawning occurs in nearshore marine waters, typically in winter, with pelagic eggs and larvae that eventually settle into estuarine nursery habitats favored by juveniles as they grow.