English sole
Encyclopedia
The English sole, Parophrys vetulus, is a flatfish
of the family Pleuronectidae
. It is a demersal fish that lives on sandy and muddy bottoms in estuaries and near shore areas, at depths of up to 550 metres (1,804.5 ft). It reaches up to 57 centimetres (22.4 in) in length, and can weigh up to 1.5 kilograms (3.3 lb). Its native habitat is the Eastern Pacific
, stretching from the coast of Baja California
in the south to the Bering Sea
in the north.
English sole is an important commercial fish, primarily caught off Washington, Oregon
and California
. Though biomass
is increasing, catches have been declining since the 1960s and are currently almost at an all-time low.
English sole is also known as lemon sole
.
in 1854. The name is derived from the Greek para, meaning "near", ophrys, meaning "eyebrow", and vetulus, meaning "old man".
English sole is known in Spanish as platija limón, or lemon sole, a name by which it is also known in English, though the true lemon sole is a separate species, Microstomus kitt.
and ventral fin edges are dark. The lateral line
is mostly straight, but curves slightly around the pectoral fin.
s, molluscs, crustacean
s and echinoderm
s. English sole feed by day, using both sight and smell, and often dig for food.
, off Washington, Oregon and California, and one in the Bering Sea off Alaska
. The majority of English sole landed is from the West Coast fishery.
Although biomass is increasing, catches have been steadily decreasing since the 1960s - though catches peaked in the southern area in 1929 with 3,976 tonnes landed, and in the north in 1949 at 4,008 tonnes - and have today almost reached a historical low. This decline is estimated to be due to a combination of market factors and management restrictions placed on trawlers in order to protect other bottom-dwelling species.
Flatfish
The flatfish are an order of ray-finned fish, also called the Heterosomata, sometimes classified as a suborder of Perciformes. In many species, both eyes lie on one side of the head, one or the other migrating through and around the head during development...
of the family Pleuronectidae
Pleuronectidae
Righteye flounders are a family, Pleuronectidae, of flounders. They are called "righteye flounders" because most species lie on the sea bottom on their left side, with both eyes on the right side. The Paralichthyidae are the opposite, with their eyes on the left side.Their dorsal and anal fins are...
. It is a demersal fish that lives on sandy and muddy bottoms in estuaries and near shore areas, at depths of up to 550 metres (1,804.5 ft). It reaches up to 57 centimetres (22.4 in) in length, and can weigh up to 1.5 kilograms (3.3 lb). Its native habitat is the Eastern Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, stretching from the coast of Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
in the south to the Bering Sea
Bering Sea
The Bering Sea is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises a deep water basin, which then rises through a narrow slope into the shallower water above the continental shelves....
in the north.
English sole is an important commercial fish, primarily caught off Washington, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Though biomass
Biomass (ecology)
Biomass, in ecology, is the mass of living biological organisms in a given area or ecosystem at a given time. Biomass can refer to species biomass, which is the mass of one or more species, or to community biomass, which is the mass of all species in the community. It can include microorganisms,...
is increasing, catches have been declining since the 1960s and are currently almost at an all-time low.
English sole is also known as lemon sole
Lemon sole
The lemon sole, Microstomus kitt, is a flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae. It is native to shallow seas around Northern Europe, where it lives on stony bottoms down to depths of about . It grows up to in length and reaches about in weight....
.
Taxonomy and nomenclature
The English sole was first given the name Parophrys vetulus by Charles Frédéric GirardCharles Frédéric Girard
Charles Frédéric Girard was a French biologist specializing in ichthyology and herpetology.Born in Mulhouse, France, he studied at the College of Neuchâtel, Switzerland as a student of Louis Agassiz. In 1847, he accompanied Agassiz as his assistant to Harvard...
in 1854. The name is derived from the Greek para, meaning "near", ophrys, meaning "eyebrow", and vetulus, meaning "old man".
English sole is known in Spanish as platija limón, or lemon sole, a name by which it is also known in English, though the true lemon sole is a separate species, Microstomus kitt.
Description
The English sole is a right-eyed flatfish with a compressed, diamond-shaped body and a small head with a pointed snout and small, asymmetric mouth. The upper surface is covered in rough scales and is usually uniformly brown, but occasionally speckled; the lower surface is smooth, and white to pale yellow in colour. The dorsalDorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
and ventral fin edges are dark. The lateral line
Lateral line
The lateral line is a sense organ in aquatic organisms , used to detect movement and vibration in the surrounding water. Lateral lines are usually visible as faint lines running lengthwise down each side, from the vicinity of the gill covers to the base of the tail...
is mostly straight, but curves slightly around the pectoral fin.
Diet
The English sole's diet consists of zoobenthos organisms, primarily marine wormMarine worm
Any worm that lives in a marine environment is considered a marine worm. Marine worms are found in several different phyla, including the Platyhelminthes, Nematoda, Annelida , Chaetognatha, Hemichordata, and Phoronida....
s, molluscs, crustacean
Crustacean
Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
s and echinoderm
Echinoderm
Echinoderms are a phylum of marine animals. Echinoderms are found at every ocean depth, from the intertidal zone to the abyssal zone....
s. English sole feed by day, using both sight and smell, and often dig for food.
Commercial Fishing
The English sole is an important commercial fish, and has been fished in the Eastern Pacific, almost exclusively by trawler, since 1876. Two fisheries exist: one on the West Coast of the United StatesWest Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
, off Washington, Oregon and California, and one in the Bering Sea off Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. The majority of English sole landed is from the West Coast fishery.
Although biomass is increasing, catches have been steadily decreasing since the 1960s - though catches peaked in the southern area in 1929 with 3,976 tonnes landed, and in the north in 1949 at 4,008 tonnes - and have today almost reached a historical low. This decline is estimated to be due to a combination of market factors and management restrictions placed on trawlers in order to protect other bottom-dwelling species.