The Summer Flounder
Peter Park
Evolutionary Relationships: The Summer Flounder (Paralichthys dentatus) belongs to the Family Paralichthyidae (Large-tooth Flounders) along. Flatfish are categorized by the side where both eyes are located. In Paralichthyids, the eyes and camouflaged exterior are on the left side. In essence, species in this family lie on the right side of their body. This family is to be contrasted with Family Pleuronectidae (Righteye flounders), which generally have their eyes on the right side of the body and lay on their left side. Pleuronectids include the Winter Flounder (Pleuronectes americanus) and Atlantic Halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus).
Distribution: The summer flounder can be found along the entire northeast coast from Maine to Florida. During spring to autumn, they move inshore from offshore breeding and overwintering grounds to feed. In the spring, large influxes of summer flounder can be found in very shallow, sandy bottom water (i.e., less than 10ft). During hot summer months, many of these populations move into deeper water reefs and wrecks (over 30ft) into the LI Sound on the northshore and into the Ocean on the southshore. Larger individuals occur in deep channels, ridges, and sandbars.
Feeding Habits: Like other flatfish, the summer flounder is a sit-and-wait predator. Despite its benthic orientation, the summer flounder is a voracious and aggressive predator capable of rapid swimming bursts. The summer flounder is able to lie on the bottom and consume unsuspecting prey that pass by, which include a variety of vertebrates (fishes) and invertebrates (squid, shrimp, clams). The numerous pigment cells and spots (chromatophores) on its skin allow it to change colors rapidly from a light tan to dark brown, depending on the color of the surrounding bottom.
When hidden in sand, the summer flounder will flap its pectoral fins to draw up sand over its body to present a more convincing camouflage.
Reproduction Biology: Breeding occurs during the autumn offshore migration. Spawning activity reaches its peak from September to November at depths of 60-169ft. The most productive breeding grounds are located off the coasts of NY and NJ. Generally, males and females become sexually mature at age 3. Males rarely survive past age 7 (3-5lbs), while females reach up to 37in (25+lbs). Egg clutch size depends on age and size of females. A newly mature 3 year-old female (about 12-14in) will produce 460,000 eggs in a season while a trophy-sized female (about 27in) may produce over 4,000,000 eggs in one season. After the eggs are fertilized, they become suspended in the water column and hatch after three days. Larvae are born with eyes on either side similar to "normal" fish, very much unlike adult flatfish. The larvae will metamorphose within 2-3 weeks. However, timing of settlement depends on several factors including moon phase, tide stage, salinity, water temperature, substrate type, presence of predators, and type of predators.
US Fishing Interest: EXTREMELY HIGH Summer flounder (also called "fluke" by local fishermen) are renowned for their fighting ability and table quality. The soft, flaky texture makes this fish a seafood connoisseur's favorite dish. For the fisherman, targeting giant fluke may become a lifelong pursuit. There is something to be said about the violent head shake that can be felt on the tip of a rod. The first sight of the brown body as the fish makes its way to the surface on the last few turns of the reel will also make a fisherman gasp in awe. Some fishermen claim that the fluke has a reputation of being the most highly sought-after gamefish along the entire northeast coast, rivaling the striped bass. Whether trolling, bucktail jigging, or drifting bait, the summer flounder is a fish that is admired by all.
World Record:
The late Charles Nappi, a former charter captain from Long Island, caught this world record on Sept. 15, 1975 in Montauk, NY. Of all northeast saltwater gamefish, only the world record striped bass is more heavily pursued. Nappi's record has remained elusive, and in recent years, it has appeared insurmountable. Unlike with striped bass where a trophy fish weighing close to the record is caught several times a year, a summer flounder that teases Nappi's record is rarely caught… well, until this past summer, that is.
On Friday August 17, 2007, Monica Oswald, resident of Neptune, NJ and nurse at Riverview Hospital in Red Bank, N.J., caught a 24.3lbs (38 ¼in) summer flounder in 60ft of water. This summer flounder engulfed a squid-tipped 4oz Spro bucktail (Glo-color) with a stinger hook, using 65-pound braided nylon. However, this fish will not be remembered as the "new" world record. The International Gamefish Association (IGFA) world records coordinator Rebecca Wright was quoted as saying: "The tackle, the line, the leader and the (fishing) method were fine, but the rules specifically state you can't rest the rod." Oswald honestly disclosed this information that cost her the record along with hundreds of thousands of dollars in endorsements.
This story neither begins or ends here. Upon news of the catch, official pictures were immediately circulated on the internet. This had the unfortunate consequence of setting off a storm of heated and malicious discussions in several online forums- some of which are ongoing. Anonymous individuals have even posted suggestions that Oswald cheated or that she did not catch the fish herself. As a result, Oswald volunteered to take a lie detector test, which she passed. (Quotes and information from an article written by Judy Peet of nj.com).
Tom Schlichter, a writer for NY Newsday, writes
the following in an article on August 21,
2007:
I had the pleasure of fishing for fluke at Debbs Inlet with Nappi a
couple of years before he passed away. At the time, I inquired how long he
thought his fluke record might stand?
"I don't know," he said in a reflective tone. "That 22-pounder, that's a big
fish."
He paused for several seconds, lowered his bait to the bottom and then, with a
chuckle, added: "Twenty-five or 30 years would be nice."
Whether this doormat [Oswald's fish] moves to the top of the chart or not,
Charlie Nappi got his wish.
Historical Impacts:
● Summer flounder are managed by an interstate fishery management plan (IFMP) that is developed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), which assigns each state a fishing quota every year for all game fish species. New York is a member of the ASMFC. The federal Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey uses dockside and telephone interviews from randomly selected fishermen to estimate the state's total recreational harvest for that year. Each year, a projected state harvest is estimated based on the assumption that regulations and harvest patterns do not change. In 2003, it was estimated that NY recreational anglers exceeded their seasonal summer flounder quota by 49%, the largest in years. Surprisingly, such a spike was not reported in Connecticut and New Jersey that year. 2004 marked the first year that major state-by-state differences existed for size restrictions and bag limits for the summer flounder: New York (17in minimum length, 3 fish), Connecticut (17in minimum length, 6 fish), New Jersey (16.5in minimum length, 8 fish). Were these measures too extreme for NY anglers? To this question, John Mantione, president of the NY Fishing Tackle Trade Association, said, "You never make up what you lose." (Quotes and information from an article written by Stacy Albin of NY Times).
The measures in 2004 seemed appropriate since the next two years told much of the same story. This was followed by stricter regulations and further concern. Most recently, given the harvest data from 2006, if regulations remained at 18in minimum length and 4 fish, the projected fluke harvest in 2007 would have exceeded the ASMFC's assigned quota by 49%. Thus, this year's 19.5" minimum length, 4 fish daily limit was aimed to achieve the quota by reducing the harvest by 56% since 2006. With confidence that the 2007 quota would not be met, the NY DEC allowed summer flounder fishing season open year round (which removed the limited season dates of May 6 to September 12 administered in 2006). However, due to serious over harvesting concerns, our fishing season was closed abruptly (Sept. 17, 2007) to remain in compliance with the ASMFC quota.
● Several flounder species that are closely related to the summer flounder are found in all coastal marine waters in Asia. The light, rich texture of a filleted summer flounder resembles these species in both taste and appeal. This similarity in palatability has made the American summer flounder a popular raw fish dish (sashimi or sushi) in sushi restaurants across the world.
● At first glance, a flatfish's bottom-dwelling lifestyle may seem inefficient since the animal is limited to food only in its immediate surroundings. However, these fish are extremely successful predators. Flatfish species can achieve enormous sizes. In fact, they grow larger than most other species of fish alive today. Although the summer flounder may only reach up to 25lbs, some flatfish of the Family Pleuronectidae, such as the Pacific Halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis), can easily reach sizes of up to 550lbs! The quantity of meat in large halibut has traditionally sustained many rural native Alaskan villages and communities (e.g., Eskimo, Aleut) for centuries with only the need to harvest a few fish annually.
