Flounder

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

Flounder is a species of flatfish of the genus Hippoglossus of the family Pleuronectidae. In fact, quite often the term flounder refers to several species of flatfish, including flounder, turbot, with which the flounder is a cousin.

Another common name for this species of fish is halibut. The name of the fish comes from haly (holy) and butt (flat fish), or in other words sacred fish, mainly because it is popular during the Catholic holidays.

Flounder are demersal fish that inhabit the North Pacific and the North Atlantic. They are considered to be the largest demersal fish, weighing an average of 24-30 kg, although there are many larger species. The world record for catching the largest fish flounder held by fisherman Lino Meyer. The monstrously large fish weighs 202 kg, is 2.5 meters long and was caught off the coast of Norway with German tackle.

Usually flounder are almost white skin color on the underside and brown with whitish spots on the upper. The young are born with one eye on each side of the head and initially swim like salmon. After only 6 months, one eye moves to the other side and the flounder begins to look like flounder. The eyes of the flounder remain on the upper brown side.

The interesting color of this species has its own explanation - the top is brown so that it can merge with the landscape at the bottom, and seen from below it is white, which allows it to merge with the sunlight penetrating the water. There are two main types of flounder - Pacific (Hippoglossus stenolepis) and Atlantic (Hippoglossus Hippoglossus).

Generally flounder it eats almost all the aquatic inhabitants it can collect in its mouth. It is so omnivorous that even similar fish have been found in the abdominal cavity of caught fish. In addition to its own species, flounder often eat crabs, octopuses, sea scorpions, salmon, cod, herring. Young fish flounder small crustaceans and other benthic organisms often feed.

The flounder inhabits waters at depths of several meters to several hundred meters, although it spends most of its life at the bottom. When looking for food, flounder often move to fish schools. In general, this species of fish is at the top of the food chain, and the flounder is endangered only by salmon shark, sea lion, orcs and others.

The fishing of flounder in the North Pacific has been developing since the late 19th century and today is one of the largest. The flounder was traditionally eaten by the Indians and the first settlers of Canada. Sport fishing in Alaska is a major part of the tourism and economic sector.

In Alaska and American Columbia, halibut fishing has traditionally been a sport, and herring or whole salmon are most commonly used as bait. The flounder itself has a rather whirlwind character and once caught and brought ashore it often has to be hit on the head to tame it.

Flounder is usually caught with octopus parts. The casting of giant flounder nets must be strictly regulated and careful, because this species does not reproduce until the age of eight, when it is about 76 cm long. The specifics of the catch suggest that fresh flounder can be found in the markets. only a few weeks a year.

Overfishing of this species in the Atlantic Ocean is the reason flounder already considered an endangered species. Seafood Watch advises consumers not to buy Atlantic flounder. Most of the fish eaten off the east coast of the United States comes from the Pacific Ocean.

Composition of flounder

Flounder has a similar nutritional composition as turbot and other demersal fish. It is quite low in fat, which is why it is a suitable food for a diet. At 100 g flounder there are only 1.33 g of fat and absolutely no carbohydrates. Flounder is rich in protein, and trace elements contain more significant levels of zinc, selenium, phosphorus, a lot of calcium and iron.

100 g of flounder contain:

Calories - 91; Protein - 18.56 g; Carbohydrates - 0 g; Fat - 1.33 g; Vitamin B12 - 1.1 mcg; Vitamin B6 - 0.55 mg; Vitamin E - 0.61 mg; Vitamin A - 67 IU.

Culinary use of flounder

Flounder is one of the most suitable fish for grilling. Due to the fact that it contains very little fat, it is not suitable for smoking. It is also well prepared baked or fried. Interestingly, flounder does not require much time for liquid marinating, and only a few minutes are sufficient.

If you keep the fish in the marinade for a longer time, the meat will become more mushy, which would make it difficult to grill and the flounder will eventually fall apart. The most suitable for this type of fish are dry spices, which perfectly suit the taste and texture of the meat.

The flounder has a tender and tender-tasting meat that doesn't even need to be flavored too much. When grilling flounder, a very important rule is good on oiled fish and the grill itself. Otherwise, the meat will stick or the integrity of the pieces will be compromised.

The flounder is usually baked quickly - in about 10 minutes. In addition, flounder is a fish with a multifunctional culinary application. In fact, you can include it in all the fish specialties you want to prepare - various stews, soups, salads, casserole, sandwiches. Flounder is great even on skewers with vegetables to your liking.