Flatfish

Flatfish
A camouflaged flatfish.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Infraclass:	Teleostei
Order:	Pleuronectiformes
Families
Suborder Psettodoidei     Psettodoidae Suborder Pleuronectoidei     Citharidae (spiny turbots)     Scophthalmidae turbots     Bothidae (lefteye flounders)     Pleuronectidae (righteye flounders)     Paralichthyidae     Achiropsettidae (southern flounders)     Samaridae Suborder Soleoidei     Soleidae (soles)     Achiridae (American soles)     Cynoglossidae (tonguefish)

A flatfish is a type of fish which is a member of the order Pleuronectiformes. There are several different kinds of flatfish. Some of them are fished commercially, like flounder, sole, turbot, plaice, and halibut. They are part of the Percomorpha.

All flatfish are rather flat, and are ray-finned fish. During their evolution, their eyes have moved so that they are on the same side, which the fish keeps uppermost. They swim like this, and can hide in the sand waiting for prey on the ocean floor. They have a capacity for dynamic camouflage, which is under nervous control, and can change in 'real time' to match their background.

It is a group of fish which are all adapted to the same habitat. They share those features which suit their life-style. They have both eyes on one side of the head: the upper side. This is their main adaptation to living on the seabed (benthos). Other distinguishing (different from others) features are the protrusible eyes: they can stick the eyes up a bit to see round.