| Yellowtail flounder | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Carangiformes |
| Suborder: | Pleuronectoidei |
| Family: | Pleuronectidae |
| Genus: | Limanda |
| Species: | L. ferruginea |
| Binomial name | |
| Limanda ferruginea (Storer, 1839) | |
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Range | |
| Synonyms | |
Theyellowtail flounder (Limanda ferruginea), also known as therusty dab, is aspecies offlatfish in the familyPleuronectidae (righteyeflounders). Reaching 56 cm (22 in) in length, it has reddish brown upperparts, pale underparts and yellow fins. Both its eyes are on the right (upper) side of its body. Found in the westernNorth Atlantic, it has been fished commercially by North American fisheries for food. A victim of overfishing, the yellowtail flounder is categorized as "Vulnerable" by theInternational Union for Conservation of Nature.
The yellowtail flounder was originally described by German naturalistCarl Moritz Gottsche asLimanda vulgaris in theArchiv für Naturgeschichte in 1835.[2][3] It was later documented asPlatessa ferruginea byDavid Humphreys Storer in 1839, who noted the similarity between it andLimanda limanda (then considered to be in the genusPleuronectes). He gave the species the common name of "rusty dab".[4] Later, bothP. limanda andP. ferruginea were reclassified into the genusLimanda.[2][5] Meanwhile, American zoologistTheodore Gill had placed it in the new genusMyzopsetta in 1861.[6]
According to 1996 research from theUniversity of Ottawa,L. ferruginea shares severalmorphologies withLimanda aspera, but that themonophyly of the genusLimanda as a whole is unlikely.[7] A 2018cladistic morphological and genetic analysis found that the genusLimanda is not monophyletic;L. ferruginea and its relatives thelonghead dab (L. proboscidea) andspeckled flounder (L. punctatissima) are in a differentsubfamily to the other members of the genus and should be (once again) placed in the genusMyzopsetta.[8]
The yellowtail flounder is a wideflatfish with an ovoid body, about half as broad as it is long.[9] The name "yellowtail" comes from the distinctly yellowish color of itsfins (including tail fin); the fish's upper side is reddish brown with irregular "rusty" spots, while the underside is white with a yellowcaudal peduncle (area between body and tail). Being a right-eyed flounder (of the familyPleuronectidae), both its eyes are on the right side of the fish's body, though the eyes are symmetrical just after hatching.[10][11] It is thinner than other flatfish.[12]
The fish's head is approximately a quarter as long as the total body and is scaly. The eye's diameter is approximately one fifth the length of the head. The yellowtail flounder has a prominent lower jaw with broad lips, about as long as the eye. The scales are ciliated (having hair-like protrusions) and appear on the head as well. The teeth are small.[13] Itsdorsal fin, comprising about 80rays, begins over the eye and has longer rays near the middle. Theanal fin has a similar outline, but is only composed of about 60 rays. Relative to other flounders in theGulf of Maine, the yellowtail flounder has a narrower and more concave head, with a pointier snout.[9]
According to theNational Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), yellowtail flounders can grow to a length of 56 centimetres (22 in), weighing up to 1 kilogram (2.2 lb).[10][11] Specimens up to 8.1 kg (18 lb) have been caught before.[14]
The yellowtail flounder is found in the westernNorth Atlantic Ocean, off the east coast ofNorth America.[15][10] Specimens have been found as far north asNewfoundland and southernLabrador and as far south asChesapeake Bay. It is common on theScotian Shelf, onocean banks such as theGrand Banks of Newfoundland andGeorges Bank.[16]
Threefish stocks exist in US waters: in theGulf of Maine area, on Georges Bank, and off southernNew England and theMid-Atlantic.[10] In Canada, yellowtail are concentrated inNAFO divisions 4X (Browns Bank, near Georges Bank, at42°49′37″N66°13′02″W / 42.826895°N 66.217355°W /42.826895; -66.217355), 4W (Sable Island Bank,43°49′50″N60°50′12″W / 43.83067°N 60.836686°W /43.83067; -60.836686), and 4V (Banquereau,44°32′08″N58°35′02″W / 44.535498°N 58.583968°W /44.535498; -58.583968).[16][17]
The larvae ofL. ferruginea remain near the surface for two months, but after maturing to a length of at least 14 mm (0.55 in), they dwell on sandy or muddy seafloors at a depth between 30 and 100 metres (98 and 328 ft).[10][12] As they live considerably deeper than other species of flounder, they are rarely seen along shores.[9]
Yellowtail flounders have been reported to live up to seventeen years, but most die by age seven. They mature relatively early with females being able to reproduce by age three,spawning in the spring and summer. Theeggs (measuring approximately 0.9 mm (0.035 in) in diameter) float to the surface and drift for approximately two months.[10][12] The early larval stages closely resemble that of thewinter flounder, though the appearance of the fin rays differentiates them.[9]
They eatcrustaceans (includingamphipods,shrimps,mysids, andshellfish) as well asmarine worms, and are preyed on by other fish such asspiny dogfish andskate.[10][12] Yellowtail flounders are able tocamouflage, changing the pattern of their skin to mimic the seafloor.[14]
Yellowtail flounders have been commonly fished inMassachusetts Bay andCape Cod Bay since the 1800s, afterbeam andotter trawls were introduced to fisheries in the area. In 1908, a total of 1,400,000 kilograms (3,000,000 lb) of yellowtail and winter flounder was caught nearCape Cod, an estimated half of which was yellowtail.[9]
In the US, fishing of yellowtail flounder is governed by the NMFS.[10] More than 526,000 kilograms (1,160,000 lb) of yellowtail flounder was commercially caught in American waters in 2020 (the vast majority inMassachusetts), valued at over $1 million.[18] In federal waters, there is a minimum allowed size of 330 mm (13 in).[14]
Populations of fishable yellowtail flounder have declined from the 1980s into the late 1990s in Canada, especially in divisions 4V and 4W, after which the rate of fishery declined.[16]L. ferruginea is currently categorized as "Vulnerable" by theInternational Union for Conservation of Nature.[1] According to theUniversity of Maine, yellowtail flounder are being overfished, as well as several other species of flounder.[19] According to NMFS, the fishing rate is being reduced at Georges Bank and there are rebuilding plans to increase populations of all three stocks.[10]
Yellowtail flounders are fished between late fall and spring, usually with atrawl net orgillnet.[10][19] Hooks are ineffective as their mouths are small.[9]
Yellowtail flounder is sweet and mild, while being a lean source ofB vitamins, includingniacin. The texture is delicate and flaky.[11][19][20]
