Fish Identification: Peacock Flounder

Series Summary

Marine life in the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean is diverse. There are thousands of species of fish with myriad shapes, sizes and beautiful colors. Fish identification adds an incredible degree of interest to snorkeling or scuba diving. Identifying a few of the different types of fish in the Caribbean is not an easy task, but it is made much easier with fish identification charts and fish identification videos. In this free video, a certified scuba instructor with experience in the Caribbean demonstrates how to identify tropical fish from the Caribbean reef. Learn about identifying markings on fish such as the Peacock Flounder, Rock Beauty and Blue Angelfish. Get tips on identifying Trunkfish, Sand Divers and Chub Fish. Identifying fish in the Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean is a great way to spend a snorkeling or scuba diving trip!

Video Transcript

"The marine organism we're going to identify now is the peacock flounder. The peacock flounder is the most common flounder that one will find around the coral reefs of Florida, The Bahamas, and most of the Caribbean. They're distinguished by the numerous blue ringed spots covering its body, although the blue is often muted. These blue rings are what distinguished the peacock flounder from the similar appearing eyed flounder, whose rings are brown. Peacock flounders, like eyed flounders, also have two and sometimes three, large defuse dark spots along the lateral line of the top side of their body. One usually behind the pectoral fin and the second about midway between the pectoral fin and the tail. The underside of the peacock flounder is a pale white to yellowish color, with no distinctive markings. The peacock flounder is a master of camouflage, they can rapidly change color and shading, to blend into their surroundings. Their coloring can go from very pale, when they are over sand, to quite dark, when they are over coral. In addition, they will occasionally cover themselves with a fine layer of sand, making them even harder to spot. They spend most of their time skimming over the sand near reefs. Peacock flounders are strange fish. They start their life like a normal fish, swimming upright with eyes on both sides of its head, but as they mature, one eye slowly moves to the opposite side of its body until both eyes are on one side and they can lay flat on the bottom without being noticed. The eyes can move independently so the peacock flounder has a great view of the world surrounding him or her. Peacock flounders also have a very long pectoral fin on the top side of their body. This fin will often be raised while they are swimming across the bottom and will look like a small sail. I suspect they use this raised pectoral fin as a rudder, as they swim in an undulating fashion just above the sand or coral. Adult peacock flounders range in size from six inches to eighteen inches with most being fifteen inches long or smaller. They are most commonly found in sand flats at a depth of two feet to forty feet. When they lay motionless on the bottom, in the sand, you might not even see them until you swim right over the top of the fish, which will quickly swim away if it feels threatened. Peacock flounders feed mainly on small fishes they find in their sandy habitat. They will also feed on small crustaceans, such as, small hermit crabs, as well as small octopi. That's the peacock flounder."