English sole
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 (1,800 ft). It reaches up to 57 centimetres (22 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 | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Pleuronectiformes |
| Family: | Pleuronectidae |
| Genus: | Parophrys Girard, 1854 |
| Species: | P. vetulus |
| Binomial name | |
| Parophrys vetulus Girard, 1854 | |
| Range of the English sole | |
| Synonyms | |
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.
The 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.