Arctic flounder

Arctic flounder ( Liopsetta glacialis )

The Arctic flounder ( Liopsetta glacialis ) is a flatfish found in the coastal waters of the Arctic Ocean. Its range extends from the White Sea on the Barents Sea, the coast of Siberia, the Chukchi Sea, the Bering Sea, the northern Sea of ​​Okhotsk and the northern coast of North America to the Queen Maud Gulf in Arctic Canada.

Features

The Arctic flounder is more than 35 cm long, but usually remains at a length of 15 to 25 cm. She has an oval, asymmetrical, laterally strongly flattened body. Her right side of the body will sit during the metamorphosis to the top, on both eyes. The top is brownish to olive-gray colored and patterned with different sized black spots. Also back, anal and caudal fin are patterned with spots. Chest and the throat constant pelvic fins are light brown and without marks or spots. The belly is white. The fish have very small scales, the male comb scales, females roundhouse. The side line is almost straight, and above the pectoral fins. Bone bumps that accompany the flounder ( Platichthys flesus) the lateral line and base of dorsal and anal fin are missing. The small, terminal mouth not reaching to below the eye. The Vorkiemendeckel has a free edge. On the first branchial arch, one counts 10 to 14 gill Reuse rays ( 15-22 in the flounder ).

• Fins formula: Dorsal 50-62, 35-44 anal fin.
• Eddy: 37-38

Way of life

Arctic flounder The never lives far from the coast at shallow depths and especially on mud floors. They often occurs in brackish water and wanders in search of food often in freshwaters, but returns to the propagation into the sea. In the evening and at high tide it approaches the coast even more. It feeds on bottom-dwelling invertebrates, especially of mussels and snails, and small fish. The spawning season lasts from January to February the Kara Sea, the White Sea fish spawning in May at water temperatures around 0 ° C. Eggs and larvae are pelagic.

Hazardous situation

The World Conservation Union IUCN leads the flounder in the Red List of endangered species, but it is currently " not at risk " as judged (Least Concern ). It is a common species for which there are no known major threats.