Gloomy Flounder

Body flexible. Mouth extremely large, maxillary not projecting beyond tip of snout. No canine tooth. Tip of lower jaw slightly beyond the upper; upper jaw shorter than head length.

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 111 - 127; Analspines: 0; Analsoft rays: 76 - 88

Inhabits the deeper continental shelf to depths of almost 1,000 m (Ref. 27121). Found on sand, mud and clay bottoms (Ref. 4417). Feeds on larger benthic animals (Ref. 30573).

Inhabits the deeper continental shelf to depths of almost 1,000 m (Ref. 27121). Found on sand, mud and clay bottoms (Ref. 4417). Feeds on larger benthic animals (Ref. 30573). Minimum depth reported taken from Ref. 30573.

fisheries: commercial

分布於世界三大洋，包括西太西洋：幾內亞灣至南非；東大西洋：美國佛羅里達至巴西；以及印度-太平洋：非洲東岸至日本。台灣分布於南部及東北部海域。

通常是用底拖網或底流刺網捕捉，幼魚加工作扁魚酥，體型較大者，則用油煎的方法來食用。

體非常扁平而長型，兩眼均在左側。頭中型。下眼稍前於上眼，兩眼間隔處有一狹小骨脊。口特大；上頜超過頭長之 1/2；下頜突出，但向前不超過吻端，向後遠超過眼之後緣；頜膜不甚擴展；上下頜齒不發達。無鰓耙或發育不全而呈圓盤狀。鱗極小且易脫落，兩側皆被圓鱗；兩側皆具側線，側線鱗數152-205。背鰭前數鰭條稍延長，具軟條數111-127；臀鰭鰭條正常，具軟條數76-88；胸鰭短於頭長；尾鰭圓型。眼側體暗棕色，具暗色小點，腹膜淡藍色，奇鰭色深，偶鰭色淺；盲側淡黃色。

主要棲息於大陸棚砂泥質的海域。肉食性魚類，主要捕食底棲性的甲殼類或是其它種類的小魚。平時不太愛活動，大半時間潛藏在砂泥底中，和棲息的背景環境幾乎完美融合一體，藉以欺敵捕食。

Found on sand, mud and clay bottoms. Feeds on large benthic animals.

Known from seamounts and knolls