We have started exhibiting "golden flounder" which has a different body color from January 2024, 1!

On Saturday, December 12th last year, we received a call from a member of the public who said, ``The fish I caught was yellow in color and I would like to donate it to an aquarium,'' so a member of the public came to our museum. The body color of this flounder, which was caught 9 meters off the coast of Kashima on the same day, was more whitish than yellow, almost a shining golden color, so it was displayed in the "Oarai Creatures 30" aquarium as the "Golden Flounder". We are doing.

Flounder is the prefectural fish of Ibaraki Prefecture, and the same display tank also displays sardine, a member of the sardine family that boasts the No. 1 catch in Ibaraki Prefecture, so visitors can learn about the wonders of nature and the richness of the sea in Ibaraki Prefecture. We have created an exhibition that you can enjoy.

It is known that flounder changes its body color to match the surrounding environment, but this flounder with a golden body color is not an individual with a pigment abnormality that has less black pigment (melanin) than the original individual. I think so. Until now, we have been contacted by fishermen and the general public, and about once every few years, a flounder with a rare body color comes to the aquarium.The detailed mechanism of the rare body color and the frequency of occurrence are unknown, but even in the natural world. This is a rare phenomenon.

In this way, if a fish has a conspicuous color that differs from its normal body color, it will be easily spotted by the creatures it preys on, putting it at a disadvantage when preying on it, and making it more likely to be targeted by larger fish that are its enemies. Surviving in the sea is more difficult than regular flounder. It is extremely rare for a flounder to grow to its current total length of 70.0 cm while having a striking body color, and the "golden flounder" exhibited this time may be considered a lucky owner. Please experience the wonders of life through the exhibition.

Flounder (Flounder family)

Distribution: Western Pacific Ocean, including the Sea of ​​Japan　

They live in coastal sandy mudlands where the water depth is shallower than 200m, and feed mainly on small fish and small crustaceans that live on the seabed. It can grow up to 10m in length and XNUMXkg in weight. It has been selected as Ibaraki Prefecture's ``prefectural fish,'' and the flounder produced in Ibaraki Prefecture is called ``Tokiwa Mono'' and has received high praise.

• The body color may change depending on the lighting of the aquarium, etc.
• Exhibits may be changed or canceled depending on the status of the creatures. Please note