Speckled sanddab
Encyclopedia
The Speckled sanddab is a species of flounder
in the genus Citharichthys
. It is native to the eastern Pacific Ocean
, ranging from Alaska
in the north to Baja California
, Mexico
in the south.
It is a much smaller cousin of the Pacific sanddab
, growing to a maximum of 17 cm in length. It can be found on the sandy bottom near the shore to as far out as 350 m. It is a dull brown or tan colour, with a white or pale brown underside. Males are often mottled with orange spots.
While the speckled sanddab is technically a game fish, it is of little commercial importance due to its diminutive size, and the larger Pacific sanddab is readily available. The species has a high rate of reproduction, and coupled with the minimal threat from fishing means that it is abundant along the entire North American coast.
The Speckled Sanddab eats small crustaceans and its predators are fish, birds and marine mammals. The fish can camouflage itself by adapting to look like the surface it is on.
Flounder
The flounder is an ocean-dwelling flatfish species that is found in coastal lagoons and estuaries of the Northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.-Taxonomy:There are a number of geographical and taxonomical species to which flounder belong.*Western Atlantic...
in the genus Citharichthys
Sanddab
Citharichthys is a genus of flatfish in the large-tooth flounder family, Paralichthyidae. They have both eyes on the left side of the head....
. It is native to the eastern Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, ranging from Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
in the north to Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
in the south.
It is a much smaller cousin of the Pacific sanddab
Pacific sanddab
The Pacific sanddab is a species of sanddab . It is by far the most common sanddab, and it shares its habitat with the longfin sanddab and the speckled sanddab...
, growing to a maximum of 17 cm in length. It can be found on the sandy bottom near the shore to as far out as 350 m. It is a dull brown or tan colour, with a white or pale brown underside. Males are often mottled with orange spots.
While the speckled sanddab is technically a game fish, it is of little commercial importance due to its diminutive size, and the larger Pacific sanddab is readily available. The species has a high rate of reproduction, and coupled with the minimal threat from fishing means that it is abundant along the entire North American coast.
The Speckled Sanddab eats small crustaceans and its predators are fish, birds and marine mammals. The fish can camouflage itself by adapting to look like the surface it is on.