Hogchoker

The hogchoker is a small flatfish in the family Achiridae, native to the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of North America. It is a right-eyed species best known for its tolerance of a wide range of salinities, making it one of the few flatfish commonly found far up rivers and estuaries in nearly fresh water, as well as in fully marine coastal habitats. The common name is thought to derive from historical accounts of the fish's rough, bony skin causing hogs to choke or refuse to swallow it. Hogchokers are small, oval, and relatively unremarkable in appearance, but their broad salinity tolerance and abundance make them a common and ecologically important species in estuarine systems along the eastern United States.

• Small, oval to nearly circular body, right-eyed
• Upper side is mottled brown to dark gray with darker crossbands or blotches, sometimes with fine dark spotting
• No visible pectoral fins
• Rounded tail fin continuous with dorsal and anal fins
• Rough, somewhat leathery skin texture
• Adults typically reach 8-15 cm

Its small size, rounded outline, and lack of pectoral fins distinguish it from other regional soles and flounders, most of which are larger and possess visible pectoral fins. The coarse, leathery skin texture is also more pronounced than in many smoother-skinned relatives.

Hogchokers are found along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States, from Massachusetts south to Texas and into parts of the western Gulf. They are unusually tolerant of low salinity for a flatfish and are commonly found in estuaries, tidal creeks, and even well up into freshwater reaches of coastal rivers, in addition to fully marine nearshore waters. They favor soft mud or sand-mud bottoms in shallow water, generally less than 20 meters deep, and are among the most abundant small fish in many Atlantic and Gulf coast estuarine systems.

Hogchokers are bottom-dwelling fish that spend most of their time resting on or just beneath the surface of mud or sand, feeding on small benthic invertebrates such as worms and tiny crustaceans. They are highly tolerant of fluctuating salinity and temperature, allowing them to move freely between fresh, brackish, and marine waters within estuarine systems. The species spawns in higher-salinity estuarine or nearshore waters, producing pelagic eggs and larvae that are carried by currents before settling; juveniles then often move into lower-salinity nursery areas as they grow. Their abundance makes them an important prey source for larger fish and birds in estuarine food webs.