on the caudal vertebrae" (v) "The first neural spine bent at contact with the dorsal margin of the cranium" Other non-defining traits of scophthalmids that are not specific to the family are their large and prominent lower jaws, sinistral eyes, and the single oil globule present in the yolks of their eggs. Behavior Locomotion Scophthalmids live a fairly sedentary lifestyle in comparison to other ray-finned fish, and due to their negative buoyancy spend most of their time below other taxa. Being asymmetrical and spending most of their time on the bottom substrates, scophthalmids have evolved unique locomotive systems to better fit their lifestyle. Turning their bodies into levers, the flatfish use forward and backward movements to propel themselves across the substrate. Often times, these movements are short, with pauses in between strokes (akin to gliding). That being said, the fish can increase their movement speed through "rapid propulsive strokes" that can propel individuals in different directions. In addition to the "rapid propulsive strokes," scophthalmids can elevate their heads into an alert position. Using both of these adaptations in tandem, the fishes can change the angle of their projection, and shoot themselves into the water column by lifting their heads and then executing a 'rapid propulsive stroke.' This is highly useful to escape predation, initiate gliding, or journey far distances while conserving energy (e.g. traveling between feeding and spawning sites). While the propulsive stroke may be energetically costly, once in the water column the flatfish can exhibit 'swim and glide' behaviors to cruise through the water. Besides the lever-system that can propel the fish in the transverse plane, scophthalmids also have unique systems to control their vertical and horizontal movements. Due to their asymmetry, their bodies are on a 90 degree rotation and use their fins differently than most Actinopterygii. Flatfish can change their vertical direction by changing the angle of their bodies, with particular emphasis on the angle of their caudal fins. On the contrary, horizontal direction is controlled usnig the pectoral fin (akin to a rudder of a boat). Burying behavior Burying is crucial to the survivorship of Scophthalmidae as it is their primary defense in avoiding predators and hunting prey. By burying, the fishes avoid detection from predation risks, and also reduce environmental challenges like current shear. To initiate this important and unique behavior, flatfish vigorously beat their heads "against the sediment, accompanied by a wave of muscular