Fish identification archive / Gulf Flounder

Gulf Flounder

Paralichthys albigutta

Fun facts for your next surface interval

Three large body spots form a triangle. [source]
The lateral line arches strongly over the pectoral fin. [source]
The tail has a blunt central point. [source]

Florida and local context

REEF lists Paralichthys albigutta in the cumulative diver-survey report for Blue Heron Bridge (WPB) Phil Foster Park. This is a cumulative volunteer report, not an independently reidentified voucher.

A documented past record does not establish present abundance or guarantee an encounter.

Sources: REEF named-site survey: Blue Heron Bridge (WPB) Phil Foster Park

How to recognize this animal

A left-eyed flounder with three conspicuous dark ringed spots arranged as a triangle. The brown eyed side is mottled; both eyes lie on the same side.

Sources: Smithsonian STRI species account

Size and life stages

The Smithsonian account reports 71 cm. It does not explicitly specify total, fork or standard length for this value; do not compare it directly with a length-labeled measurement.

Sources: Smithsonian STRI species account

Habitat and where to look

Sandy bottoms; recorded at 1–130 m.

Sources: Smithsonian STRI species account

Range and local context

North Carolina, the Gulf of Mexico and Bahamas. Historical corridor survey evidence is from Blue Heron Bridge (WPB) Phil Foster Park.

Sources: Smithsonian STRI species account; REEF named-site survey: Blue Heron Bridge (WPB) Phil Foster Park

Feeding and diet

The species data report lists bony fishes, bottom-associated crustaceans. These categories are not a local prey-frequency estimate.

Sources: Smithsonian STRI species account

Daily habits and behavior

Species-specific behavior information is limited in the verified sources used for this profile.

Mating and the next generation

The species data report lists eggs in the water column. Local spawning dates, maturity measurements and a detailed courtship sequence were not established.

Sources: Smithsonian STRI species account

Look-alikes and identification traps

No species-level look-alike comparison has yet been verified for this draft. Use the diagnostic features above and retain uncertain photographs as unidentified rather than assigning a name from color alone.

Observe without disturbing

Maintain buoyancy and leave a clear retreat. Do not touch, chase, feed, uncover or move the animal, its shelter, or vegetation. Photographs are observations, not collection permission.

Seasonally closed through November 30

FWC explicitly includes Gulf Flounder in its flounder regulations, which it states apply in state and federal waters off Florida. The annual October 15–November 30 closure includes the November 11, 2026 review date. This is a seasonal closure, not permanent protected status.

This scoped status is not permission to collect or a guarantee of food safety.

Harvest, collection and food status

Checked 2026-11-11.

Harvest status

Seasonally closed through November 30. FWC explicitly includes Gulf Flounder in its flounder regulations, which it states apply in state and federal waters off Florida. The annual October 15–November 30 closure includes the November 11, 2026 review date. This is a seasonal closure, not permanent protected status. Outside that closure, the listed minimum is 14 inches total length and daily limit five per person. Biscayne National Park additionally includes Gulf Flounder in its ten-fish aggregate; species limits still apply and excess aggregate fish may not be transited through the park. Check any trip-date changes.

Jurisdiction and closed areas

Vero Beach–Key Largo Atlantic corridor. Florida state waters extend 3 nautical miles offshore; adjacent South Atlantic federal waters have separate rules. Park, sanctuary, method and landing restrictions remain applicable. No trip clearance. The mapped Blue Heron Bridge dive site is closed to marine-life collection, not automatically every form of fishing. Biscayne National Park prohibits ornamental collection without a superintendent collecting permit; mapped seasonal and permanent fishing closures also apply. John Pennekamp permits fishing only in designated areas, with additional collection prohibitions. Key Largo Management Area prohibits tropical-fish take and spearfishing, including equipment possession except uninterrupted passage. Sanctuary Preservation Areas, Ecological Reserves, Special-use Areas and posted access restrictions require exact boundary and exception checks. General species allowances do not override these restrictions.

Spearfishing

FWC lists spears and gigs among general flounder gears, but that never overrides the seasonal closure or local spearfishing bans. Natural-bait multiple hooks and snatching are prohibited. No corridor-wide spearfishing clearance. FWC prohibits spearfishing in state-park waters, within specified distances of swimming beaches, fishing piers and fishing bridges, and in Upper Keys state waters from Long Key north to the Miami-Dade line. Key Largo Management Area has an independent federal spearfishing and equipment-possession restriction.

Food and menu status

Exact-species, capture-location food-safety advice was not verified. FDA market-group advice is not clearance for this individual local fish. Check current local fish-consumption advisories before eating any legally obtained fish. A dated exact-species local restaurant menu was not verified; menu status is unverified, not absent. Recipes are disabled.

Official sources

Identification and source cautions

Historical reports do not guarantee current abundance.
Length convention is unspecified in the cited identification narrative.
Independent official harvest wording is integrated separately; publication approval remains pending.

Sources and review

Reviewed 2026-11-11; biological claims and the depicted illustration independently checked. Photographs on cited sites are reference material and are not reproduced here.

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