A Connecticut angler’s recent catch of a 15.3-pound summer flounder has established a new state record for the species.
The catch by Bill Proulx at Niantic Bay replaces the previous record of 14 pounds, 13.76 ounces, set in 2019.
Connecticut Fish and Wildlife announced the new record Wednesday via Facebook, asking followers to congratulate Proulx on his catch of an “awesome fish.”
Summer flounder are found in the western Atlantic from Maine to northeast Florida. They enter shallow water during the summer and are sometimes observed chasing baitfish in estuaries, bays and harbors.
Connecticut Fish and Wildlife did not provide details on the catch by Proulx, other than to add that it measured 32 5/8 inches and boasted a girth of 26 1/4 inches.
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For comparison, the world record for summer flounder stands at 22 pounds, for a catch off Montauk, N.Y., in 1975.
In describing summer flounder, the International Game Fish Assn. states on its website:
“The summer flounder is a left-eyed flatfish. The eyed side always blends in perfectly with the sea bed. There is usually a scattering of 10 to 14 eye-like spots on the body. As in other flatfish, the blind side is white and relatively featureless. The teeth are well developed on both sides of the jaws.”
A similar species on the West Coast is the California halibut.