European flounder Platichthys flesus Least concern
Where the European flounder lives – recorded in 15 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.
Pin and shaded countries are approximate. The pin is a representative wild sighting (a central record among 409,734 open-licence GBIF records), not an official range. Method · Records on GBIF · See bony fish on the world map
| Scientific name | Platichthys flesus |
|---|---|
| Group | Bony fish |
| Status | Least concern (Wikidata, IUCN category label) |
| Found in | 15 countries |
| Continents | Europe |
| Class | Ray-finned fish |
| Order | Pleuronectiformes |
| Family | Pleuronectidae |
Where does the European flounder live?
Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the European flounder in 15 countries and territories across Europe. In Russia it is listed as introduced (GRIIS checklists via GBIF).
- Sweden
- Denmark
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Germany
- Belgium
- Latvia
- United Kingdom
- Russia (introduced)
- Lithuania
- France
- Estonia
- Norway
- Ireland
- Spain
Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.
Is the European flounder endangered?
The European flounder’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Least concern” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.
What kind of animal is the European flounder?
The European flounder (Platichthys flesus) is a ray-finned fish in the order Pleuronectiformes and the family Pleuronectidae, genus Platichthys. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)
About the European flounder
The European flounder (Platichthys flesus) is a flatfish of European coastal waters from the White Sea in the north to the Mediterranean and the Black Sea in the south. It has been introduced into the United States and Canada accidentally through transport in ballast water. It is caught and used for human consumption.
The European flounder is oval in shape and is usually right-eyed. It normally grows about 30 cm in length, although lengths of up to 60 cm have been recorded. The upper surface is usually dull brown or olive in colour with reddish spots and brown blotches and this fish can change colour to suit its background, providing an effective camouflage. The underside is pearly-white, giving the fish one of its common names, the white fluke. The lateral line features rows of small tubercles, as do the bases of the dorsal and anal fins.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article European flounder (revision 1371047558), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q214034 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).
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