Fun Olive Flounder Facts For Kids

Are you always on the lookout for strange and unique fish? Then the Olive Flounder should be floundering its way onto your list! These fish from the Pacific have evolved to live and move on their sides, earning them their popular name, the flatfish. This fish gained prominence in aquaculture in the 1800s, with Korea taking the lead in introducing them to the mass market of aquaculture. Now, they are enjoyed as a gourmet level treat by all those who can afford to pay for this tasty, delicious meat. However, before you go on to enjoy them, do be careful! They have a Pacific parasite in their bodies, which can cause an upset stomach or food poisoning. As long as your Pacific fish is carefully cleaned and treated, you should fine ans enjoying your food in no time.

They are no small catch, either. While involved in the aquaculture process, these fish can grow as big as many sharks! Though they spend most of their life on their side, in the shadow, with their set apart eyes, we appreciate them nevertheless! Do read about this interesting fish and more fish, such as codfish and herring.

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What type of animal is an Olive Flounder?

The Olive Flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) is a type of fish.

What class of animal does an Olive Flounder belong to?

The Olive Flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) belongs to the fish class.

How many Olive Flounders are there in the world?

Due to lack of research, there is no number known of the Bastard Halibut species (Paralichthys olivaceus).

Where does an Olive Flounder live?

The Japanese Halibut (Paralichthys olivaceus) is found living in the ocean. Its habitat includes fast-flowing waters in deep pressure, and close to the sea bed.

What is an Olive Flounder's habitat?

The Bastard Halibut can be seen living in its habitat towards the bottom of the ocean floor. Rarely coming to the surface, they stay at least 100 m in depth. They are found in and around the Mariana trench, close to Japanese regions, like near Korea, and China.

Who do Olive Flounders live with?

Olive Flounders mostly live alone, or with mates during breeding or mating season.

How long does an Olive Flounder live?

The Flounder lives between 12-14 years.

How do they reproduce?

The female Flounder spawns eggs while the male fertilizes them. After a period of 22 days, the spawn hatch into the young of the Hirame species.

What is their conservation status?

Due to human intervention and their own prolific breeding, these Hirame fish are of Least Concern as marked by the IUCN Red List.

What do Olive Flounders look like?

This fish is flat on the side, with two eyes on the same side of the head, a wide frame with prominent fins. They are mostly a muddy-olive shade, with a short dorsal fin, and blunt teeth in a mildly protruding jaw.

How cute are they?

The Flounder is not a very cute fish at all. It is big in size, bloated, discolored, ugly, with an odd shape and strange mannerisms. If you wish to inspect this yourself, you can always go fishing for them around the Pacific Ocean. They enjoy a bait of small fish, and though they are cautious, they can definitely come to you after a period of waiting. Fishing can take a bit of time, so make sure you can stay patient!

How do they communicate?

They communicate primarily through sound waves, vibrations, sight, and movement. They do not have vocal cords, and as such, all their communication is non-verbal.

How big is an Olive Flounder?

The Flounder fish is about 41 inches long in size. This size makes them just as big as 160+ species of sharks, all of whom are 39 inches or less in length.

How fast can an Olive Flounder swim?

There is no recorded speed as to how fast the Flounder can swim.

How much does an Olive Flounder weigh?

The Flounder can grow up to 20 lb in weight. Talk about being hefty!

What are their male and female names of the species?

There is no name for the male and female of the species.

What would you call a baby Olive Flounder?

There is no particular name you can call a baby Olive Flounder.  However, they will not be babies for very long as they grow rapidly.

What do they eat?

They are carnivores, so their food in the sea includes small fish, fish spawn, and more. When not in the sea, they are fed artificial, nutrient-rich fish food.

Are they dangerous?

No, they are not dangerous to humans. However, they do contain a parasite that can give humans food poisoning if eaten raw.

Would they make a good pet?

No, they would not make very good pets. However, they play a very prominent role in Japanese, Korean and Chinese aquaculture, and are an excellent asset to them.

Did you know...

The Halibut fish has a variety of names all across the world. The Japanese call them the Hirame fish, while the Spanish refer to this species as Falso halibut Del.   The French, on the other hand, call them Cardeau Hirame. Therefore, this species has many different names across Japanese, Korean, and Chinese lands, and other locations. A large Olive Flounder is worth 800 bells!

Do people eat Olive Flounder?

The Flatfish species is a gourmet delicacy, earlier available only in Korea, China, and Japan, but now, is enjoyed by people across the world, even in the western hemisphere. The Cardeau species is well-loved by all, especially in Asian countries like Korea, which were the first to mass breed this sea species for commercial benefit. Though the exact price of an Olive Flounder vary from location to location, you can be sure that it is an expensive penny to pay. This is because they used to be an incredibly rare breed, which is now well known only because of aquaculture.

However, if you do not wish to pay for acquaculture, fishing is always an option! They are a large catch, and a testament to your skill if you ever catch this large, unwieldy fish across the north and south-western Pacific. You can catch them off Japanese and Korean shores, with a long fishing pole and plenty of bait attached to it. They live in-depth, so getting this large fish may not be easy.

How do Flounders become 'flatfish'?

Due to constantly staying at the bottom of the sea, this species from Korea endures great pressure on its body daily and has adapted itself accordingly. As soon as 30 days after their hatching, they turn on their side, and their side now becomes their belly, and their eyes shift away to accommodate this change. Now officially on their side,  aquaculture now calls them the "flat" fish.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other fish including milkfish, or swai fish facts.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our Flounder coloring pages.

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