Dispatch Method:

The eating qualities of summer flounder can be greatly improved if they are killed humanely by iki jime or a firm knock to the head before placing them in an ice slurry after bleeding.

Fish Description:

• Summer flounder are a left eyed flounder, meaning that they have both eyes on the left side of the body - when viewed with their dorsal fin on top their head points to the left.
  
• This species has several large spots on the upper surface, but like other flatfish summer flounder can change colouration to suit their background.
  
• Summer flounder have a relatively large mouth with large teeth, which together with their left eyed layout distinguishes them from other similar flounders like winter flounder.

Fish Distribution:

• Summer flounder are found in the western Atlantic Ocean along the east coast of the United States from Nova Scotia to Florida.
  
• Juvenile summer flounder live in estuaries and coastal lagoons, frequenting areas of soft sediment especially near seagrass beds.
  
• Adults move offshore out to near the continental shelf once they mature, but return inshore and into estuaries seasonally in spring and early summer, before migrating back offshore in the fall.

Fish Size Common Length:

40-60 cm (18-24 inches), maximum size around 100 cm (36 inches) and 13 kg (29 lb).