Marbled flounder
Amazing fact
The marbled flounder can change its body color and markings to match its surroundings.
葛西臨海水族園
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An illustration based on the real animal.
A little discovery to share.
The marbled flounder can change its body color and markings to match its surroundings.
THE REAL WORLD
The real Marbled flounder
- Scientific name
- Pseudopleuronectes yokohamae
- Japanese name
- マコガレイ
- Group
- Ocean animals
- Order
- Pleuronectiformes
- Family
- Pleuronectidae
- Genus
- Pseudopleuronectes
Where the name “Marbled flounder” comes from
Its Japanese name comes from its ovaries, called mako, being prized in simmered dishes.
葛西臨海水族園A flounder that lives on sandy seabeds, from near the shore out to deeper water. It has long been eaten as a representative fish of Edomae, the waters off Tokyo.
With its flat, sand-colored body, it burrows into the sandy bottom and watches its surroundings with just its eyes showing.
Just after hatching, its eyes are on both sides of its body, but as it grows they end up on the same side and it begins living on the seabed.
How the Marbled flounder lives
Newly hatched young swim in the water. Its food includes small shrimp, crabs, ragworms, clams and small fish. From autumn to winter, it lays eggs on the shallow seabed in the inner part of a bay.
葛西臨海水族園Basic data
- Size
- Total length: males 35 cm, females 45 cm
- Diet
- Small shrimp, crabs, polychaetes, bivalves, small fish, and other foods
- Range
- Southern Hokkaido to Kyushu
Where the Marbled flounder has been recorded
Records: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY 4.0 records, retrieved 2026-11-07). Map: Natural EarthSee the records on GBIF
Watch wild animals from a distance. Do not touch or feed them, and take care of the places where they live.
Names around the world
- 日本語
- マコガレイ
- 简体中文
- 钝吻黄盖鲽
- 繁體中文
- 鈍吻黃蓋鰈
- 한국어
- 문치가자미
- Русский
- Японская лиманда
Names come from Wikidata and iNaturalist records. Where a language has no recorded name, we use the scientific name.
Sources and how we check
- 葛西臨海水族園 — マコガレイChecked: 2026-11-03
We check each fact against its source. The illustrations simplify how the real animal looks.
The classification (class, order, family, genus) follows Wikidata records, checked against GBIF. Classifications can change as research goes on.
The basic data are the values given in each source. They vary with how the animal is measured, whether it is male or female, and whether it lives in the wild or in captivity.
This page was translated from the original Japanese with the help of AI.
Report a mistakeWhen you meet the Marbled flounder, look for this
- Look for the white color on the side of its body without eyes.
Animals do different things from day to day, so you may not always see this.
葛西臨海水族園EXHIBIT INFORMATION
Places that keep or show the Marbled flounder
Zoos, aquariums and other places whose official websites say they keep or show this animal.
Kanto
Displays can change with the animals’ health and the seasons. Check each facility’s official website before you go.
RELATIVES
Others in Pleuronectidae
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