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Which familiar fish groups belong to the order Pleuronectiformes?
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pleuronectiform
Body plan and sexual dimorphism in the common sole (Solea solea) and dusky flounder (Syacium papillosum).
The order Pleuronectiformes, commonly known as flatfishes, includes approximately 680 species of bony fishes characterized by their unique, asymmetrical, and compressed bodies. Unlike most vertebrates, adult flatfishes have both eyes on one side of the head, an adaptation that evolved from a symmetrical ancestor that habitually rested on its side.1
Familiar fish groups belonging to this order include:
- Flounders: This group includes various families such as the Bothidae (left-eyed flounders), Pleuronectidae (right-eyed flounders), and Citharidae (large-scale flounders).2
- Halibuts: These are categorized within the family Pleuronectidae.2
- Turbots: These include the spiny turbots (family Psettodidae) and the family Scophthalmidae.2
- Soles: Members of the family Soleidae, as well as the tongue soles (family Cynoglossidae).2
These fishes are divided into 14 families across two suborders, Psettodoidei and Pleuronectoidei, reflecting a diverse range of species found in tropical, temperate, and Arctic waters worldwide.2