Paralichthys adspersus (Steindachner, 1867)
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Paralichthys adspersus, the fine flounder, is a species of large-tooth flounder native to the eastern Pacific Ocean, along the continental shelf from the coast of Ecuador in the north to the coast of Peru in the south.
It is a medium-sized flatfish, growing up to 70 cm in length, with females typically being larger than males. It is a game fish, caught by an artisanal fishery off the Peruvian coast.
The species is a predator, feeding off smaller fishes in its habitat.
Paralichthys adspersus was first collected by Charles Darwin in the Galapagos Islands and was described in 1842 as Hippoglossus kingii, which would have placed it in the left-eye flounder family. However, the description of H. kingii has been determined to lack sufficient information to absolutely determine which species it describes and is thus considered ambiguous and therefore is not valid.
Wikipedia contributors, Paralichthys adspersus; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T23:31:47.911735+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Paralichthys adspersus (Steindachner, 1867)
- Name authority
- (Steindachner, 1867)
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Pleuronectiformes
- Family
- Paralichthyidae
- Genus
- Paralichthys
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: yes · Freshwater: no · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- orderPleuronectiformes
- suborderPleuronectoidei
- familyParalichthyidae Regan, 1910
- genusParalichthys Girard, 1858
- speciesParalichthys adspersus (Steindachner, 1867)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Paralichthys. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Gulf flounderParalichthys albigutta Jordan & Gilbert, 1882 | ParalichthyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Paralichthys brasiliensis (Ranzani, 1842) | ParalichthyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Paralichthys delfini Pequeño & Plaza, 1987 | ParalichthyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| northern flukeParalichthys dentatus (Linnaeus, 1766) | ParalichthyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Paralichthys isosceles Jordan, 1891 | ParalichthyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| southern flounderParalichthys lethostigma Jordan & Gilbert, 1884 | ParalichthyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Paralichthys microps (Günther, 1881) | ParalichthyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Paralichthys patagonicus Jordan, 1889 | ParalichthyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| broad flounderParalichthys squamilentus Jordan & Gilbert, 1882 | ParalichthyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Paralichthys triocellatus Miranda Ribeiro, 1903 | ParalichthyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Paralichthys tropicus Ginsburg, 1933 | ParalichthyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| dappled flounderParalichthys woolmani Jordan & Williams, 1897 | ParalichthyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Hippoglossus kingii Jenyns, 1842 Jenyns, 1842 | synonym |
| Pseudorhombus adspersus Steindachner, 1867 Steindachner, 1867 | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=275806 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:4CYV7. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.