"Flatfish A flatfish is a member of the order Pleuronectiformes of ray-finned demersal fishes, 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 or around the head during development. Some species face their left sides upward, some face their right sides upward, and others face either side upward. Many important food fish are in this order, including the flounders, soles, turbot, plaice, and halibut. Some flatfish can camouflage themselves on the ocean floor. Over 700 species are in the 11"
"European plaice The European plaice (""Pleuronectes platessa"") is a commercially important flatfish. The geographical range of the European plaice is off all coasts from the Barents Sea to the Mediterranean, also in the Northeast Atlantic and off Greenland. In some locales such as the Irish Sea this species is considered fully exploited by commercial fishing. It is a common flatfish, occurring on the sandy and muddy bottoms of the European shelf, usually at depths between 10 and 50 m, where they tend to burrow in sediment during day time and remain stationary for long periods. They can be found at"
"Fund says, in 2006, ""of the eight plaice stocks recognised by ICES, only one is considered to be harvested sustainably while three are overexploited. Data are insufficient to assess the remaining stocks; however, landings for all stocks are at or near historical lows."" In 2010, Greenpeace International has added the European plaice to its seafood red list. European plaice The European plaice (""Pleuronectes platessa"") is a commercially important flatfish. The geographical range of the European plaice is off all coasts from the Barents Sea to the Mediterranean, also in the Northeast Atlantic and off Greenland. In some locales such as"
"common in nearly all parts of its range. Numbers of fish may be decreasing somewhat but not to the extent that would warrant listing it under a higher risk category. European flounder The European flounder (""Platichthys flesus"") is a flatfish of European coastal waters from the White Sea in the north to the Mediterranean and the Black Sea in the south. It has been introduced into the United States and Canada accidentally through transport in ballast water. It is caught and used for human consumption. The European flounder is oval in shape and is usually right-eyed. It normally grows about"
"European flounder The European flounder (""Platichthys flesus"") is a flatfish of European coastal waters from the White Sea in the north to the Mediterranean and the Black Sea in the south. It has been introduced into the United States and Canada accidentally through transport in ballast water. It is caught and used for human consumption. The European flounder is oval in shape and is usually right-eyed. It normally grows about 30 cm in length, although lengths of up to 60 cm have been recorded. The upper surface is usually dull brown or olive in colour with reddish spots and brown"
"Astacus astacus Astacus astacus, the European crayfish, noble crayfish, or broad-fingered crayfish, is the most common species of crayfish in Europe, and a traditional food source. Like other true crayfish, ""A. astacus"" is restricted to fresh water, living only in unpolluted streams, rivers, and lakes. It is found from France throughout Central Europe, to the Balkan Peninsula, and north as far as parts of the British Isles, Scandinavia, and Eastern Europe. Males may grow up to 16 cm long, and females up to 12 cm. European crayfish are nocturnal and feed on worms, aquatic insects, molluscs, and plants, spending the"
"age 50 years. Together with sole, European plaice form a group of flatfish that are the most important flatfish in Europe. European plaice have been fished from the North Sea for hundreds of years. They are usually fished from beam trawlers, otter trawlers or seiners. In the Celtic Sea the plaice species is considered overfished. A smoke cooked plaice is one of the traditional summer time delicacies of Hiiumaa island. Like the European plaice, the American plaice is a right eyed flatfish belonging to the Pleuronectidae family. American plaice are an Atlantic species, which range from southern Labrador to Rhode"
"fisheries and is consumed in fresh or dried form. Mediterranean scaldfish The Mediterranean scaldfish (""Arnoglossus laterna""), also known as the scaldfish, is a species of benthic left eyed flatfish belonging to the family Bothidae. It is found in the eastern Atlantic of Europe and Africa as well as the Mediterranean, and is of minor interest to fisheries. The Mediterranean scaldfish is a small flatfish with a slender oval body, a small head with large eyes placed on the left side of the head. It has an oblique mouth which is moderately sized. The dorsal fin has its origin in front"
"""Hydra"" to humans. Astacus astacus Astacus astacus, the European crayfish, noble crayfish, or broad-fingered crayfish, is the most common species of crayfish in Europe, and a traditional food source. Like other true crayfish, ""A. astacus"" is restricted to fresh water, living only in unpolluted streams, rivers, and lakes. It is found from France throughout Central Europe, to the Balkan Peninsula, and north as far as parts of the British Isles, Scandinavia, and Eastern Europe. Males may grow up to 16 cm long, and females up to 12 cm. European crayfish are nocturnal and feed on worms, aquatic insects, molluscs, and"
"the French word ""limon"" (which means ""silt""). In 2007 the European Union fishing quota, or Total Allowable Catch (TAC), for lemon sole (and witch) was 6,175 tonnes, of which 3,716 tonnes were caught, mostly by UK fishermen. The quota for 2008 was 6,793 tonnes and the quota for 2009 was 6,793 tonnes. The Marine Conservation Society rates lemon sole at 2 or 3 on its sustainability scale (where 1 is best and 5 is worst) depending on how and where it is caught. Several other species of flatfish are known as lemon soles: Lemon sole The lemon sole (""Microstomus kitt"")"
"Halibut Halibut is a common name principally applied to the two flatfish in the genus ""Hippoglossus"" from the family of right-eye flounders. Less commonly, and in some regions only, other species of flatfish are also referred to as being halibuts. The word is derived from ""haly"" (holy) and ""butte"" (flat fish), for its popularity on Catholic holy days. Halibut are demersal fish and are highly regarded as a food fish. The Pacific halibut is the world's largest flatfish. The IGFA record was apparently broken off the waters of Norway in July 2013 by a 515-pound 8.6 foot fish. This was"
"European flatfish in that it prefers a rocky substrate. It has the ability to remain immobile in the most surprising sites, holding on to vertical rocks or even upside down under overhangs. This is achieved by using its broad fringing fins to fit itself into the substrate. Spawning takes place between February and June. It is carnivorous, feeding on small fish and crustaceans. Zeugopterus punctatus Zeugopterus punctatus, the common topknot, is a species of left eyed flatfish in the family Scophthalmidae, from the eastern Atlantic Ocean. ""Zeugopterus punctatus"" is a small left-sided flatfish that is almost completely round in shape,"
"maximus""). The turbot (""Scophthalmus maximus"") is a large left-eyed flatfish found primarily close to shore in sandy shallow waters throughout the Mediterranean, the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea and the North Atlantic. The European turbot has an asymmetrical disk-shaped body, and has been known to grow up to long and in weight. Turbot is highly prized as a food fish for its delicate flavour, and is also known as brat, breet, britt or butt. It is a valuable commercial species, acquired through aquaculture and trawling. Turbot are farmed in Bulgaria, France, Spain, Portugal, Romania, Turkey, Chile, Norway, and China. Turbot"
"to eat more dab in order to take the pressure off the species of commercial fish which are currently heavily exploited. Common dab The common dab (""Limanda limanda"") is an edible flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae. It is a demersal fish native to shallow seas around Northern Europe, in particular the North Sea, where it lives on sandy bottoms down to depths of about . It can reach in length and can weigh up to , though most specimens grow no longer than . The etymology of the name ""dab"" is unclear, but the modern English use seems to originate"
"European bass The European bass (""Dicentrarchus labrax"") is a primarily ocean-going fish native to the waters off Europe's western and southern and Africa's northern coasts, though it can also be found in shallow coastal waters and river mouths during the summer months. It is one of only six species in its family, Moronidae, collectively called the temperate basses. It is both fished and raised commercially, and is considered to be the most important fish currently cultured in the Mediterranean. In Ireland and the United Kingdom, the popular restaurant fish sold and consumed as sea bass is exclusively the European bass."
"large flatfishes, including Pacific halibut, ""Hippoglossus stenolepis"". Due to its popularity as a food fish, Atlantic halibut has attracted investment in fish farming. As of 2006, five countries - Canada, Norway, the UK, Iceland and Chile - were engaged in some form of Atlantic halibut aquaculture production. In 1996, the IUCN rated it as Endangered and placed it on its Red List. The Atlantic halibut is a US National Marine Fisheries Service Species of Concern, one of those species about which the U.S. Government's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has some concerns regarding status and threats, but for which insufficient"
"commercial scale in the Mediterranean. Over 7,000 t is caught annually, 85% of which is caught on Italian shores of the Adriatic Sea, with further production in the Ionian Sea, off Sardinia, off the coast of Catalonia and off the Balearic Islands. Outside the Mediterranean, it is consumed in Andalusia in the Gulf of Cadiz under the name of """"galeras"""". Squilla mantis Squilla mantis is a species of mantis shrimp found in shallow coastal areas of the Mediterranean Sea and the Eastern Atlantic Ocean: it is also known as ""pacchero"". Its abundance has led to it being the only commercially"
"are more welcome at the table. The Australian state of New South Wales has a substantial commercial flathead catch. Flathead (fish) A flathead is one of a number of small to medium fish species with notably flat heads, distributed in membership across various genera of the family Platycephalidae. Many species are found in the Indo-Pacific, especially most parts of Australia where they are popular sport and table fish. They inhabit estuaries and the open ocean. The Flathead are a popular table fish. Flathead are notable for their unusual body shape, which their hunting strategy is based upon. Flathead are dorsally"
"Common cuttlefish The common cuttlefish or European common cuttlefish (""Sepia officinalis"") is one of the largest and best-known cuttlefish species. They are a migratory species that spend the summer and spring inshore for spawning and then move to depths of 100 to 200m during autumn and winter. They grow to 49 cm in mantle length (ML) and 4 kg in weight. Animals from subtropical seas are smaller and rarely exceed 30 cm in ML. The common cuttlefish is native to at least the Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, and Baltic Sea, although subspecies have been proposed as far south as South"
"western Europe while Senegalese sole is more valuable in southern Europe. Off Mauritainia there is an artisanal fishery for this species and the Artisanal catch between 2006 and 2010 fluctuated between 117,328 kg to as low as 9,049 kg but infotmation on fishing effort is lacking. It is widely produced in extensive aquaculture in Portugal and Spain. The flesh is sold fresh, normally as fillets with smaller fillets going to domestic consumers and larger fillets to commercial markets such as hotels and restaurants. Solea senegalensis Solea senegalensis, the Senegalese sole, is a species of flatfish from the family of the"
"has thinner, less firm fillets and sells for a lower price. Common sole The common sole, Dover sole, or black sole (""Solea solea"") is a species of flatfish in the family Soleidae. It lives on the sandy or muddy seabed of the northern Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea where it often semi-immerses itself in the substrate. The upper side is greyish-brown while the underside is white. It grows to a maximum length of about . The species is prized as a food fish, being caught mostly by trawling on the seabed. The small eyes are close to each other on"
"less frequently on sandy seafloors. It feeds on invertebrates and small fish. The breeding season falls between February and August. It is sometimes found on the underside or rock overhangs but not as often as its cogener, the common topknot, ""Zeugopterus punctatus"". This is a fish of the eastern Atlantic, occurring from the British Isles to Morocco and extending into the western Mediterranean and the Adriatic Sea. Zeugopterus regius Zeugopterus regius, Eckström's topknot or Bloch's topknot, is a small, left eyed flatfish in the turbot family Scophthalmidae found in European waters. ""Zeugopterus regius"" is a relatively broad bodied, left-eyed flatfish"
"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. It is a popular food fish. The lemon sole is a right-eyed flatfish with a small head and mouth and smooth, slimy skin. The upper surface is reddish brown in colour, mottled with pink and orange and flecks of yellow and green, and a prominent orange patch is typically found behind the pectoral fin,"
"commercial fish widely cultured in the Mediterranean. The most important farming countries are Greece, Turkey, Italy, Spain, Croatia, and Egypt. Annual production was more than 120,000 tonnes in 2010. European bass is also known as lavraki (Greek: λαβράκι]), levrak (Hebrew: לברק), levrek or bayağı levrek (Turkish). loubina (Spanish) and loup de mer (French). European bass The European bass (""Dicentrarchus labrax"") is a primarily ocean-going fish native to the waters off Europe's western and southern and Africa's northern coasts, though it can also be found in shallow coastal waters and river mouths during the summer months. It is one of only"
"Mediterranean scaldfish The Mediterranean scaldfish (""Arnoglossus laterna""), also known as the scaldfish, is a species of benthic left eyed flatfish belonging to the family Bothidae. It is found in the eastern Atlantic of Europe and Africa as well as the Mediterranean, and is of minor interest to fisheries. The Mediterranean scaldfish is a small flatfish with a slender oval body, a small head with large eyes placed on the left side of the head. It has an oblique mouth which is moderately sized. The dorsal fin has its origin in front of its upper eye, the first dozen or so"
"Europe's current fish fauna is composed of introduced species, whereas more than a third of Europe's freshwater fish species are at risk of extinction, according to new data released by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). Jawless fishes include brook lamprey, river lamprey, sea lamprey. Sharks and skates are uncommon in European waters. Sturgeons are most diverse in eastern Europe. The common bony fishes include herrings (shads, European sprat, Atlantic herring, European anchovy), eels (European conger, European eel, Mediterranean moray), carps (barbel, bitterling, bleak, roach, chub, common dace, Eurasian minnow, gudgeons, rudd, stone loach, spined loach, tench, the Scandinavian tench also"
"possibility of lurking half-buried in the sand for passing prey. The common sole, just like all other flatfishes, hatches as an ""ordinary"" fish with one eye on each side of the body. The young metamorphose to flatfish when they are about one centimeter long. The upper side is greyish-brown and the underside is white. The common sole approaches a maximum length of . It has a preference for relatively shallow water with sand or mud covering the bottom. It is found in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean, from the south of Norway to Senegal, and in almost all of the Mediterranean"
"is still overfished, albeit slightly, and the stock biomass in the 10 years to 2015 increased. Therefore, the IUCN class ""Merluccius mercluccius"" as Least Concern. European hake is mainly sold in its fresh form, but it may also be frozen, dried, salted and canned. The flesh has a mild flavour, more subtle than that of cod with a white flaky texture. The raw flesh is quite soft but when it has been cooked the texture changes to firm and meaty. In France this species is marketed as """"saumon blanc"""", i.e. ""white salmon"". It is a popular food fish in Iberia"
"Common dab The common dab (""Limanda limanda"") is an edible flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae. It is a demersal fish native to shallow seas around Northern Europe, in particular the North Sea, where it lives on sandy bottoms down to depths of about . It can reach in length and can weigh up to , though most specimens grow no longer than . The etymology of the name ""dab"" is unclear, but the modern English use seems to originate from the Middle English ""dabbe"". It is first recorded in the late 16th century. The common dab was first named ""Pleuronectes"
"the males when they measure and the females when they measure . The European flounder sometimes hybridises with European plaice (""Pleuronectes platessa"") and, particularly in the western Baltic Sea, the hybrid is common. The European flounder is used for human consumption but is not so highly esteemed as the European plaice or common sole (""Solea solea""). The most important fisheries are in the Baltic Sea and the waters around the Netherlands and Denmark. In 2010, the total world catch was about nineteen thousand tonnes, mostly caught by bottom trawling. The fish is marketed fresh and frozen and can be fried,"
"1999 of 18,969 tonnes, while more recent statistics are that approximately 13,600 tonnes are taken by European fisheries annually with United Kingdom vessels taking around 3,600 tonnes of this total catch. In North America commercial fisheries take around 2,700 tonnes annually. They are caught with bottom trawls using techniques known as ""demersal bottom trawling"" and ""small flatfish (flounders, soles) bottom trawling"". The IUCN classifies this species as Least Concern, but the damaging bottom trawling methods used to catch it may cause issues, and the large number discarded as bycatch by commercial vessels which are targeting other species is unknown. The"
"has been questioned by fish experts, and recent authorities do not recognize it as valid. Many soles are important food species: the common sole, ""Solea solea"", is popular in northern Europe and the Mediterranean. Soleidae The true soles are a family, Soleidae, of flatfishes. It includes saltwater and brackish water species in the East Atlantic, Indian Ocean, and West and Central Pacific Ocean. Freshwater species are found in Africa, southern Asia, New Guinea, and Australia. In the past, soles of the Americas (both fresh and salt water) were included in this family, but they have been separated to their own"
"of the flathead sole are the Pacific cod, Alaska pollock, arrowtooth flounder, Greenland turbot and Pacific halibut. The USA lands the majority of the world's catch of flathead sole and manages three fisheries - one in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands, one in the Gulf of Alaska and one off the West Coast. Commercial fishing is conducted by trawler. Annual catches average around 17,000 tons in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands area; in 2008 the Gulf of Alaska catch reached its highest ever level of 3,396 tons. The discard rate for each area is around 10%. Flathead sole"