Yellowtail Flounder Identification Guide
Spot a yellowtail flounder by its rusty-orange blotches, yellow-tinged tail, and slim, pointed-snout body.
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Key identification features
- Right-eyed flatfish with a thin, oval body
- Reddish-brown to olive back scattered with irregular rust-orange blotches
- Distinct yellow tint at the base of the tail and along the eyed-side fins
- Small mouth and a pointed, narrow snout
- Typically 12 to 20 inches long
Common look-alikes
- Winter flounder has a thicker, rounder body and a uniform dark gray-brown color, lacking both the rust spots and yellow tail tint of a yellowtail flounder.
- American plaice grows larger, has a bigger mouth, and shows a more strongly curved lateral line, without the warm rust-colored blotching.
- Witch flounder has a much more elongated, slender shape and lacks any orange or yellow coloring.
Where you'll see one
Yellowtail flounder favor sandy and muddy bottoms across the continental shelf of the cooler temperate North Atlantic, ranging from the Gulf of Maine south to about the Chesapeake Bay, usually in moderate depths where they lie partly buried waiting for prey to pass overhead.
Frequently asked questions
How do I tell a yellowtail flounder from a winter flounder?
Yellowtail flounder are slimmer with rust-orange blotches and a yellow tint near the tail, while winter flounder are thicker-bodied and a more uniform dark gray-brown without that yellow tail coloring.
What color pattern gives away a yellowtail flounder at a glance?
Look for scattered rusty-orange spots on an olive-brown back paired with a noticeable yellow wash around the base of the tail fin.