Greenback flounder
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| Greenback flounder | ||||||||||||||
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| Rhombosolea tapirina Günther, 1862 |
The greenback flounder, Rhombosolea tapirina, is a righteye flounder of the genus Rhombosolea, found around southern Australia and New Zealand in shallow waters down to depths of 100 metres. Their length is from 25 to 50 cm.
The greenback flounder is a righteye flounder meaning it has both eyes on the right side of the head and lies on its left side. It has the typical flattened oval shape of the flounder with the dorsal and anal fins forming a fringe around most of the body. There are small teeth in the lower jaw only, and there is a distinctive fleshy elongation of the upper jaw that partly overlaps the lower jaw.
The scales are small, but the eyes are comparatively large. They swim by means of slight undulations of their fins and the outer edges of the body, keeping in contact with the bottom and seeming to "slide".
The colouring is dark green on the back with a pure white underside.
[edit] References
- "Rhombosolea tapirina". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. March 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
- Tony Ayling & Geoffrey Cox, Collins Guide to the Sea Fishes of New Zealand, (William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1982) ISBN 0-00-216987-8
