Gulf Flounder and Similar Species
Paralichthys albigutta
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Open the appSeveral fish can be confused with Gulf Flounder. Here are the key differences.
Species often confused with {name}
Southern Flounder
Paralichthys lethostigma
Key differences: Southern Flounder are also left-eyed but typically lack the three distinct ocellated spots characteristic of the Gulf Flounder. Their coloration is generally more uniform, often with diffuse, indistinct dark blotches rather than defined spots. Southern Flounder also tend to grow larger.
Summer Flounder
Paralichthys dentatus
Key differences: Summer Flounder (also known as Fluke) are also left-eyed and possess spots, but their spots are typically more numerous, smaller, and less distinctly ocellated than those of the Gulf Flounder. They often have 5-14 ocellated spots, not just three prominent ones. Their geographic range overlaps but extends further north along the Atlantic coast.
Ocellated Flounder
Ancylopsetta quadrocellata
Key differences: While also having ocellated spots, the Ocellated Flounder is a much smaller species and typically has four prominent ocellated spots, often arranged in a square pattern, rather than the three triangular spots of the Gulf Flounder. Its body shape is also more rounded.
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