Fish
Common sole
Solea vulgaris (Solea solea)
(IV) North Sea, (VIIa) Irish Sea, (VIIe) Western English Channel
Zones de pêche
Wild
Origine
28 cm - 25 cm
Taille minimale
Description
28 cm in North East Atlantic and 25 cm in Mediterranean.
Starting in May in VIIIab and in Mediterranean.
The sole’s body is oval, very flat, and asymmetrical. Both eyes are located on the right side of the head (a “right-eyed” species). The upper eye is separated from the dorsal profile of the head by a distance less than its own diameter. The “ocular” (visible) side is generally grayish-brown to reddish with diffuse dark spots. The pectoral fin on the ocular side has a characteristic black spot at its tip. The blind side is whitish. It generally measures between 30 and 35 cm, but can reach a maximum size of 70 cm and weigh up to 3 kg. It is a nocturnal predator. It feeds mainly on polychaete worms, small mollusks, and benthic crustaceans.
Starting in May in VIIIab and in Mediterranean.
The sole’s body is oval, very flat, and asymmetrical. Both eyes are located on the right side of the head (a “right-eyed” species). The upper eye is separated from the dorsal profile of the head by a distance less than its own diameter. The “ocular” (visible) side is generally grayish-brown to reddish with diffuse dark spots. The pectoral fin on the ocular side has a characteristic black spot at its tip. The blind side is whitish. It generally measures between 30 and 35 cm, but can reach a maximum size of 70 cm and weigh up to 3 kg. It is a nocturnal predator. It feeds mainly on polychaete worms, small mollusks, and benthic crustaceans.
Habitat
A marine and benthic species (living on the seafloor). It also tolerates brackish water (estuaries). It is found at depths of 0 to 150 meters, but is most common between 10 and 60 meters. It particularly favors soft substrates, mainly sand and mud, into which it burrows during the day to escape predators.
Distribution
It is widely distributed throughout the eastern Atlantic and adjacent seas. In the Northeast Atlantic: From Trondheim Fjord in Norway to Senegal, including the North Sea and the western Baltic Sea. In inland seas, it is found throughout the Mediterranean Sea (including the Sea of Marmara and the Bosporus) and in the southwestern Black Sea.