flatty I.D.

[pondlife]

people, im having problems identifying me dabs from floonders. the colouration and that is confusing me. i caught this flatty on roker pier tonight and im not sure wether its a dab or a flounder. ive compared it to fish piccies elswhere and on various sites and im still not sure. only thing i can say that it was smooth to to the touch, up and down.

[Topfly]

It's a flounder Pondlife, Dabs are a bit lighter in colour and like sandpaper when felt from tail to head.

[pondlife]

roughness

the only part that felt rough like sandpaper was if ya rubbed up along its spine, the flanks where smooth.

[d-a]

its a long rough dab i have cought a few from south shields they have a slightley olive colour compaired to a normal dab

[RossW]

It's a flounder!!!! Dabs have a slightly rounded end to their tail, sandpaper touch from tail to head and a more curved lateral line.

[flatheed]

its a long rough dab i have cought a few from south shields they have a slightley olive colour compaired to a normal dab

its the spotting that runs up either flank and very slight curve in the lateral line that gives it away! definately looks like a long rough dab! another point worth noting is that the british record (mini species) is only 0-5-8 (roughly 5 1/3 oz) caught at loch long 1975 and that looks a chunky little fella. they are common throughout the north sea and are often mistaken for a young flounder. there is a link which shows it clearly however i cant get it to work. long rough dab and google it, identical spotting although the photo was taken underwater. hope this helps.

[codseeker]

aye its a floonder heres a link with some info on recognising a dab
Google Image Result for http://www.eastcoastangling.co.uk/dab-limanda-limanda.jpg

[flatheed]

aye its a floonder heres a link with some info on recognising a dab
Google Image Result for http://www.eastcoastangling.co.uk/dab-limanda-limanda.jpg

ha ha your right coddy its not a dab its a long rough dab!! its different again hippoglossoides platessoides not limanda limanda (dab) wish i could get a link to work the fish pictured and the long rough one on the link are identical in every respect!

web.ukonline.co.uk/aquarium/pages/LongRoughDab.html

hope this works.

[codseeker]

web.ukonline.co.uk/aquarium/pages/LongRoughDab.html

hope this works.

Long Rough Dab

[codseeker]

img]http://www.postimage.org/PqsvaEi.jpg[/img][/url

[codseeker]

[flatheed]

cheers for that coddy. the discussion goes on! if you look at the large black spots on the one pondlife caught, 5 big ones left side, 3 down right side with smaller one inset from the three and one big one right in the middle of the back!! obviously flatties vary their main colouration to suit their surroundings but the spots seldom change! Am sticking with d-a on this one!!

[phill_itofish]

could be wrong but it looks like a flounder to me like

[Topfly]

It hasn't changed it's spots to blue, and where are the pink and green blotches, as in the link. still a flounder imho.

[lambtonworm]

Sorry but thats definetly a flounder.........