the male) rise through the water column. The pair reaches the climax of the courtship ritual as they reach the "apex of the rise," where gametes are released into the water. Following this dispersal of gametes, the two return to the seafloor having successfully mated. Life stages Akin to courtship behaviors, scophthalmids also share a three-stage spawning behavior just like other flatfish. Spawning tends to take place in the evening, and males and females generally pair due to relative body size. One interesting fact about flatfish is that most species are actually born symmetrical, and their eyes rotate as they mature (can travel 10-25mm on average). As the fish develop, the non-dominant eye 'floats' to the dominant side over time, resulting in the intrinsic asymmetry of the order. Female can indicate their "readiness to spawn by rapidly raising and lowering their heads." This in turn inclines males to approach and produce a threat signal, circling the female "flagging with the pectoral fin." Speculation as to why is not solidified in scientific literature but it is possibly due to competition in paternity. Conservation status and threats Climate change The Latitudinal Gradient is a common term in describing the change of a certain variable with respect to global latitudes. Due to the tilt of the Earth as well as the distance from the sun, this latitudinal gradient is often proportional to the global temperature gradient, both on water and land. The temperature gradient of the ocean is crucial for all marine life as some species are specialized for different regions or use temperature to direct migrations. Thus, species that reside in temperate latitudes tend to have broader preferences and tolerances then species specialized for extreme temperatures. This makes both tropical and polar species more susceptible to changes in climate. Flatfish are negatively affected by these temperature shifts and continue to decline in populations. Globally, their numbers dwindle and have been since the 1970s. The use of technology has allowed researchers to calculate numbers of existing populations as well as estimate the future of the clade. Two of these methods, a vulnerability assessment and simulation model projections, help pinpoint the regions at highest risk of this change and align with previously mentioned latitudinal gradient predictions. Findings suggest that the Indo-Pacific and Northeast Atlantic are at the highest risk of impacts due to climate change (i.e. a tropical region and polar region). As mentioned