Sand Flounder belong to the Pleuronectidae family.

They are greenish-brown or greyish above, sometimes with faint mottling and white below.  The body is square or diamond-shaped, fringed by dorsal and anal fins.  Sand Flounder have larger eyes than related species.

Sand Flounder Fishery

Sand Flounder are endemic to New Zealand and are the most abundant of the flounder species.  They are widespread around inshore areas, especially at the mouths of large rivers or over sandy bottoms.  They are more common in the South Island and are found from the shore out to depths of 50 metres, occasionally to 100 metres.

Sand Flounder are caught all year in coastal areas off the Hauraki Gulf, Tasman Bay, Golden Bay, Bay of Plenty and Canterbury Blight by set net and occasionally trawl.

New Zealand's Flatfish (FLA) fishery is managed by strict quotas, which allow only a set amount of Flatfish to be taken commercially each year, of which Sand Flounder is a component species.  This Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC) was set at 5,419 metric tonnes for the 2009/10 fishing year.

Sand Flounder Meat Quality

Sand Flounder have moist, delicate flesh which whitens on cooking.

For meal ideas using Sand Flounder, check out the recipes on the Greatest Meal on Earth website.