Witch flounders are a species of flatfish found in the north Atlantic Ocean. In the western Atlantic, their range begins in Newfoundland and Labrador and ends in North Carolina. In Canada, they are found in the Gulf of Maine, the Scotian Shelf, the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and the Grand Banks. Witch flounders typically live at depths of 100 to 400 metres, though individuals have been found as deep as 1,600 metres. They prefer soft substrates such as sand, clay or mud.

Witch flounders are strongly, dorsally compressed and oval in shape. Their head and mouth are very small and, like other flounders, they have both eyes on their upper side. A straight lateral line runs across their body length. Witch flounders are a dark greyish-brown on top and greyish-white on their underside, and have dark rims around their fins. They can grow to a maximum length of about 75 centimetres and a weight of about four kilograms.