| The fall 2011 flounder run was quite robust with good catches showing up at commercial landing docks as well as in the ice chests of recreational anglers. For weeks, anglers lined the banks of the ship channel near the lower reaches of Calcasieu Pass to catch these delectable fish as they stage up before migration offshore to spawn.
There are 18 species of left eyed flounder found in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The Southern Flounder, Paralichthys lethosigma, which literally means “parallel fish that forgot its spots,” is the one that most people on the Gulf coast think of when speaking of flounders. This fish is highly sought after by both commercial and recreational fishermen. Flounder are prized for their mild flavor and white, flakey flesh.
The southern flounder has a true en masse migration pattern in Louisiana. In the fall of the year, female flounder form large staging schools near mouths of waterways entering coastal bays. These females will move to offshore waters in huge spawning schools with the passage of the first few cold fronts of the season. Once offshore they will join up with males, which primarily stay offshore, and spawn in December and January. The eggs are carried by the tides inshore where the larval fish undergo a metamorphosis. Like other fish, flounders hatch with one eye on each side of the head. Movement of the right eye to the left side of the head begins when the fish is 1/3 to 1/2 inch long and is complete when the fish is 3/4 inch to 1 inch long. At this same time, the left side develops its dark color and the right side turns white.
After spawning, the females begin their migration back into the estuaries in early spring where they will disperse until the next fall. Male flounders stay in offshore waters year-round. Male flounders are small, seldom growing larger than 10 to 12 inches, but the females grow larger and travel longer distances. Females may reach 23 inches or more.
Female southern flounder spawn several times during their short annual spawning period, producing about 100,000 eggs each spawn. Spawning seems to be triggered by water temperatures of about 56 F and usually occurs between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m.
After hatching, larval southern flounders grow rapidly in highly saline waters. Young flounders begin to appear in Louisiana inshore estuaries between January and April, and range from 1/4 inch to 2 inches in length.
A traditional Louisiana recipe is baked flounder stuffed with crab meat dressing.
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