The Flat Flounder

 The Flat Flounder

The Baby Flounder
    Think of the last cartoon you saw with a cute fish character in it. That could be what a flounder looks like when it first comes out of its egg. Like most fish, it has fins, gills, and one eye on either side of its body. However, before it becomes an adult, the baby fish will face many changes in the same way that a caterpillar in a cocoon does.

Big Changes
    A few days after birth, the baby flounder, also called a flatfish, begins to change. In fact, it begins to become just that—flat! First, the baby fish begins to lean to one side. Then the eye on that side of its head begins to move! Soon, the eye will move to the other side of the fish, next to the other eye. As the fish's eye moves, its bones, nerves, and muscles also begin to change. Even the flounder's color changes. The "blind" side of the fish becomes pale.

The Adult Flounder
    Finally, the flounder becomes an adult. It drifts to the bottom of the ocean and blends with its surroundings. With its two eyes, it watches the scene above.