Flounder vs. Fluke

[RIOceanographer]

At what stage during development do their eyes start to move to one side of their head and they become a flat fish??

According to my trusty "Fishes of the Gulf of Maine" book (I am not even going to try and pretend I actually knew this off the top of my head), winter flounder have completed metamorphosis at a length of about 9mm and an average age of 60 days, but this may vary by as much as 25 days depending on water temperature.

Summer flounder begin eye migration at about 9.5mm and it takes roughly 20-30 days to complete.

 

[whitelief]

There were some great posts on another board (a land sport called "hiking") regarding really funny statements and kind of dumb questions (many of which were, admittedly, from the posters themselves in their own, less informed incarnations). One of them, my personal favorite, was, "How old is the deer when it becomes a moose?" Another, attributed to the same flatlander, who was admiring the wonderously large glacier which was calving icebergs into the sea, on which she was floating in a nearby boat, and who exclaimed "Wow, look at all that ice--I wonder how far above sea level we must be!"

So I was wondering, how old is the Flounder before it becomes a Shark?

 

[nusspli]

I'm not quite sure why you think my questions was stupid one..?

Don't you think it's cool that flounder are 'born' swimming vertically like any other fish, with an eye on each side of their heads, and then one eye migrates to one side and they end up swimming horizontally?

So, "When do flounder become flat" is not a dumb blonde question. :05:

There were some great posts on another board (a land sport called "hiking") regarding really funny statements and kind of dumb questions (many of which were, admittedly, from the posters themselves in their own, less informed incarnations). One of them, my personal favorite, was, "How old is the deer when it becomes a moose?" Another, attributed to the same flatlander, who was admiring the wonderously large glacier which was calving icebergs into the sea, on which she was floating in a nearby boat, and who exclaimed "Wow, look at all that ice--I wonder how far above sea level we must be!"

So I was wondering, how old is the Flounder before it becomes a Shark?

 

[whitelief]

Nusspli--

No offense intended! Though the question you asked reminded me of the other thread, I profess no knowledge of eye migration on fish species; indeed, I am impressed that what you say happens. Very cool indeed!

And even though I don't know the answer to your question, I can tell you I have seen very small flounder/fluke/or close relatives, say the size of a half-dollar, with eyes on top, doing their best to look like sand.

So please accept my apologies for ill-timed reply, and if you have any dumb landlubber stories, have at it.

 

[whitelief]

To further repent for my potentially insensitive remarks, I have found an answer to nusspli's question.

Q. When do their eyes move?

A. After a few months.

For more on this topic, go to http://ohoh.essortment.com/flounder_rbgf.htm.

 

[johlar]

To further repent for my potentially insensitive remarks, I have found an answer to nusspli's question.

Q. When do their eyes move?

A. After a few months.

For more on this topic, go to http://ohoh.essortment.com/flounder_rbgf.htm.

iT'S TRULY AMAZING HOW MUCH NEW STUFF i'VE LEARNED ABOUT FLOUNDER AND FLUKE. i STARTED OUT JUST WANTING TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE!!

 

[RIOceanographer]

I'm not quite sure why you think my questions was stupid one..?

Don't you think it's cool that flounder are 'born' swimming vertically like any other fish, with an eye on each side of their heads, and then one eye migrates to one side and they end up swimming horizontally?

So, "When do flounder become flat" is not a dumb blonde question. :05:

FWIW, I thought that was a very intellegent question. You have to know a thing or two about biology to even realize that happens! And I am not just saying that because I am a blonde!