比目魚flounder (bony fish) or ray fish, sharks: No bones

比目魚flounder (bony fish) or ray fish, sharks: No bones 

Cartilaginous fish, such as rays, sharks, and skates, do not have true bones.

Here’s why:

• Their skeletons are made of cartilage, a tough, flexible connective tissue (the same material in human ears and nose), not bone.

• Cartilage is lighter and more flexible than bone, which is beneficial for buoyancy and movement, especially in large ocean animals like sharks and rays.

Key Differences:

Feature	Cartilaginous Fish (e.g., rays, sharks)	Bony Fish (e.g., flounder, salmon)
Skeleton	Cartilage	Bone
Swim bladder	Absent (some use liver oil for buoyancy)	Present (regulates buoyancy)
Gill openings	Multiple (5–7 pairs, uncovered)	Usually 1 pair, covered by an operculum
Scale type	Placoid scales (tooth-like)	Cycloid or ctenoid scales
Fertilization	Often internal	Often external

So yes — no bones in the way we usually think of them. Just cartilage.

Would you like a diagram showing the skeletons of both types?

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why do people call it ray fish?

ChatGPT said:
People sometimes call flounders or flatfish “ray fish” due to confusion or grouping with related species, but technically, “ray” fish (or rays) belong to a different subclass of cartilaginous fish called Batoidea (same group as stingrays, manta rays, and skates), while flounders/flatfish are bony fish in the order Pleuronectiformes.

Here’s a breakdown of why the confusion happens:

1. Flat body shape:
Both rays and flounders have flattened bodies and lie flat on the ocean floor, making them look superficially similar.

2. Bottom-dwelling behavior:
They both are demersal, meaning they live near the seabed, contributing to the visual and ecological similarity.

3. Mislabeling in markets:
In some regions or markets (especially non-English-speaking or informal settings), flatfish may be mistakenly labeled or sold as “ray fish” due to their appearance or a loose translation of local fish names.

4. Lack of awareness of taxonomy:
Many people aren’t aware of the anatomical and evolutionary distinctions between bony fish (flounders) and cartilaginous fish (rays), so they use broad descriptive terms based on looks.

So while they may look similar, rays and flounders are not the same — they belong to entirely different evolutionary lineages.

Would you like a visual comparison or taxonomic chart to distinguish the two more clearly?

** 

ChatGPT said:
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) pronunciation of "flounder" is:

/?fla?n.d?/ (American English)
/?fla?n.d?/ (British English)

?fla?n = the stressed syllable, rhyming with "down"

d? / d? = the second syllable, with a schwa or r-colored vowel

Let me know if you'd like the pronunciation broken down further phonetically.

**

“比目魚” in English is flounder or flatfish, depending on context.

If referring generally to the type of fish known for both eyes being on one side of its body and lying flat on the seafloor, “flatfish” is the broader term.

If referring specifically to a species often eaten or fished, like 扁鰈, then “flounder” or “halibut” might be appropriate.

In literary or metaphorical use (e.g., Chinese poetry or idioms where 比目魚 symbolizes a devoted couple), it’s often translated as butterfly fish or just explained as a mythical fish that swims in pairs, since no perfect equivalent exists in English.

Would you like a scientific or poetic translation?