- Greenback flounder
Taxobox
name = Greenback flounder
regnum =Animalia
phylum =Chordata
classis =Actinopterygii
ordo =Pleuronectiformes
familia =Pleuronectidae
genus = "Rhombosolea "
species = "R. tapirina"
binomial = "Rhombosolea tapirina"
binomial_authority = Günther, 1862The greenback flounder, "Rhombosolea tapirina", is a
righteye flounder of the genus "Rhombosolea ", found around southernAustralia andNew 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 andanal fin s 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.
References
*
* Tony Ayling & Geoffrey Cox, "Collins Guide to the Sea Fishes of New Zealand", (William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand1982 ) ISBN 0-00-216987-8
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