Witch Flounder

The witch flounder is a right-eyed flatfish in the family Pleuronectidae, found in cold waters of the North Atlantic on both the American and European sides of the ocean. It is a slender, elongated species that lives on deep, muddy continental shelf and slope bottoms, generally in colder and deeper water than many related flatfish. The witch flounder is also known as grey sole in parts of its range, though it is not closely related to true soles. It supports commercial fisheries in parts of the North Atlantic, and its populations are monitored due to slow growth rates and vulnerability to fishing pressure. The species is notable for its very fine scales and elongated, almost tongue-like body shape.

• Long, narrow, tongue-shaped body, more elongated than most other flatfish
• Eyed (upper) side is uniform grayish-brown to reddish-brown, generally lacking bold spots or blotches
• Underside is pale white
• Very small, fine scales give the skin a smooth appearance
• Small mouth and small eyes relative to body size
• Adults typically reach 30-55 cm

Its slender, elongated shape and plain coloration distinguish it from American plaice, which is more oval and often shows orange blotches, and from yellowtail flounder, which has a yellow-tinted tail and thicker body.

Witch flounder inhabit cold waters of the North Atlantic, occurring from the Grand Banks and Gulf of St. Lawrence south to around the Mid-Atlantic states on the western side, and from Iceland and Norway to the Bay of Biscay in European waters. They live on soft mud or muddy-sand bottoms of the outer continental shelf and upper slope, typically at depths of 100 to 700 meters, though they range considerably deeper. The species favors cold, stable bottom temperatures and is most common in the deeper, quieter parts of its range.

Witch flounder are solitary, sluggish bottom-dwellers that spend most of their time resting on or lying just beneath the surface of soft mud, relying on plain coloration and stillness for camouflage rather than active flight. They feed on small benthic invertebrates such as polychaete worms, brittle stars, and small crustaceans, foraging slowly along the seafloor. The species grows slowly and matures late compared to many other flatfish, which makes populations more sensitive to sustained fishing pressure. Spawning occurs over deep shelf and slope habitat, producing pelagic eggs and larvae that drift before settling to the bottom as juveniles.