flat as the seafloor, almost invisible

Size
Length: 30–40 cm, Weight: 0.5–1 kg
Lifespan
8–10 years
Diet
Small crustaceans, worms and molluscs. Lives in turbulent water of open beaches and surf zones. A sandy surf zone specialist where constant wave action keeps sand soft and full of worms.
Habitat
The sandy surf zone. Turbulent water of open beaches where constant wave action keeps the sand soft and full of worms. The flatfish of the pounding surf.
Range
Throughout the North and South Islands on sandy beaches and surf zones. Most common in open, exposed beaches with constant wave action. Endemic to New Zealand, common along sandy beaches throughout the country.
Endemism
Endemic
Main Threats
Commercial and recreational net fishing are the primary threats. Habitat loss from coastal development and pollution. Climate change affecting surf zone conditions.
Population
Not Threatened. Common along sandy beaches throughout New Zealand, though harder to catch than sheltered-water flounder because they live in rougher, more exposed conditions.
Conservation Status
Not Threatened
Stand in the surf zone on an open beach. Waves knock you over. Salt spray hits your face. The sand flounder thrives in this chaos. It is the flatfish of the open beach. You catch it when the estuary is too far away and the surf is pumping. The body is thicker than its sheltered-water cousins. The fins are stronger. The colour is a pale, uniform sandy brown. This provides perfect camouflage against the churning sand. One eye has migrated to the other side of its head. That is what flatfish do. They start life looking normal. Then they twist into sideways pancakes. A fish that is a twisted pancake. The sand flounder buries itself in the sand between waves. It pops up to feed when the water clears. Sand hoppers, small crabs, and wriggly worms live in the turbulent zone. Nothing fancy. It eats whatever the surf washes past. It has the same sideways body and wandering eye as other flounder species. But it is built for rougher conditions. It is the surfer of the flatfish family. This is the flatfish caught when there is no sheltered estuary nearby. The flesh is slightly firmer and less muddy than its sheltered-water cousins. The constant flushing of the surf ensures this. To catch a sand flounder is to earn a feed. You stand in the surf. You get knocked over. You pull a flat sandy pancake out of the white water. Good fun. Good eating. The Māori name Patiki grouped several flatfish species together. Catching them in the surf zone was dangerous and skilled work. The surf zone is chaotic. The sand flounder buries itself in the sand between waves. Only its eyes show. The net sweeps. The flounder is caught. It does not know it is a survivor. It does not know it makes people work for their dinner. It just wanted to eat a sand hopper. A wave-tossed survivor that makes people work for dinner. The sand flounder is proof. It carries on.