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Why do young flatfishes settle on the seafloor after metamorphosis?
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pleuronectiform
Body plan and sexual dimorphism in the common sole (Solea solea) and dusky flounder (Syacium papillosum).
Young flatfishes settle on the seafloor after metamorphosis to assume their adult benthic existence.1
While larval flatfishes are initially bilaterally symmetrical and drift with currents as plankton, they undergo a significant transformation during metamorphosis. During this process, one eye migrates to the other side of the head, resulting in the unique asymmetrical body shape characteristic of the order Pleuronectiformes. This physical change is an adaptation for a life spent habitually resting on the seafloor. Once this transition is complete, the fish settle to the bottom, where they move by undulating their bodies or fins to navigate their substrate-associated habitat.2134