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Re: FW Flounder
> The closest picture that I can find on the web is "Conan the Flounder" at
> http://www.vandevoorde.com/Fish/myaquarium.html
Conan looks like a hogchoker, Trinectes maculatus, which is a saltwater
species. It is actually a sole, not a flounder. The juveniles are
frequently sold as freshwater flounder in aquarium shops. Here's an image
of a hogchoker:
http://www.utexas.edu/depts/tnhc/.www/fish/tnhc/na/achirida/trinecte/tmacula
t/tmacula1.jpg.
One distinguishing feature is its lack of pectoral fins (although rarely a
rudimentary one- or two-rayed "nub" may occur on some individuals). My
references note the "difficulty in removing them from a smooth surface, such
as aquarium glass". These are common inshore and estuarine fish, and are
found from Massachusetts to Panama, inshore to 20 fathoms. They can grow to
about six inches in length.
However, they have a very high tolerance for freshwater and some have been
found hundreds of miles inland, especially the young. Technically, they are
not catadromous, as true catadromous species live in freshwater but return
to the ocean to spawn. Most hogchokers spend their entire life in
saltwater.
Regards,
Mark