Speckled Flounder Identification Guide
How to recognize a speckled flounder by its fine, even speckled pattern and small, delicate oval body.
Read the full Speckled Flounder encyclopedia entry →Key identification features
- Small, left-eyed flatfish with an oval body and a finely speckled pattern of dark spots over a sandy tan background
- Speckling is even and fine rather than blotchy, covering the eyed side almost uniformly
- Small mouth relative to body size, with a gently curved lateral line over the pectoral fin
- Thin, delicate body typical of small sand-dwelling flatfish, growing to only about 6-10 inches
- Blind side plain white, with eyes set close together on the left side of the head
Common look-alikes
- Bay whiff: shows larger, more scattered dark blotches rather than the fine, even speckling of the speckled flounder
- Fringed flounder: has a fringed, papillose edge along the fins that the speckled flounder lacks
- Shoal flounder: has a noticeably shallower body and a duller, less contrasted pattern
Where you'll see one
Speckled flounder live on sandy and shell-hash bottoms of the inner continental shelf, often near seagrass edges and estuary mouths, in warm coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico and western Atlantic.
Frequently asked questions
How can I recognize a speckled flounder at a glance?
Look for a fine, even speckling of small dark spots across the whole body rather than large blotches or ocellated rings.
How do I separate a speckled flounder from a bay whiff?
The speckled flounder's pattern is made of small, uniform speckles, while the bay whiff shows larger, more irregular dark blotches.