flatfish
noun
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There are about 600 species of flatfish, which have oval, flattened, bony bodies and are found from tropical to cold waters. Flounder and turbot are two examples. Most flatfish species live at moderate depths along the continental shelf, but some enter or live permanently in freshwater. Flatfishes are carnivorous bottom-dwellers that habitually rest on one side. Both eyes are on one side of the head. The side of the fish with eyes (uppermost as it lies on the bottom) is pigmented, but the lower side is normally white. Some flatfish change color to blend with their surroundings. Species vary from 4 in (10 cm) to 7 ft (2 m) long, and some (for example, the Atlantic halibut) may weigh as much as 720 lb (325 kg).
Examples of flatfish in a Sentence
Olivia Petty, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 July 2025
Most were French-flagged, including small boats targeting shrimp and scallops, while 21 were large industrial vessels using heavy beam trawls to scrape the seafloor for flatfish.
—Daphne Ewing-Chow, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
They are called flounder houses after the species of flatfish, which like all flatfish have both eyes on one side of the head instead of an eye on both sides.
—Sophia Solano, Washington Post, 5 July 2024
The men nonetheless spotted a flatfish, which instantly answered an old question: Did the sea’s greatest depths harbor life or a bare desert?
—William J. Broad, New York Times, 18 Nov. 2023
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Cite this Entry
“Flatfish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flatfish. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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flatfish
noun
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