Demersal fish, also known as groundfish, live and feed on or near the bottom of seas or lakes. They occupy the sea floors and lake beds, which usually consist of mud, sand, gravel or rocks. In coastal waters they are found on or near the continental shelf, and in deep waters they are found on or near the continental slope or along the continental rise. They are not generally found in the deepest waters, such as abyssal depths or on the abyssal plain, but they can be found around seamounts and islands. The word demersal comes from the Latin demergere, which means to sink.
The lemon sole 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 1,400 metres (4,600 ft). It grows up to 65 centimetres (26 in) in length and reaches about 19 kilograms (42 lb) in weight.
The witch, known in English by a variety of other common names including the witch flounder, pole flounder, craig fluke, Torbay sole, and grey sole, is a species of flatfish from the family Pleuronectidae. It occurs on both sides of the North Atlantic Ocean on muddy sea beds in quite deep water. In northern Europe it has some importance in fisheries as a food fish.
The yellowtail flounder, also known as the rusty dab, is a species of flatfish in the family Pleuronectidae. Reaching 56 cm (22 in) in length, it has reddish brown upperparts, pale underparts and yellow fins. Both its eyes are on the right (upper) side of its body. Found in the western North Atlantic, it has been fished commercially by North American fisheries for food. A victim of overfishing, the yellowtail flounder is categorized as "Vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The European flounder 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 English sole 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.
The Petrale sole is an edible flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae. It is a demersal fish that lives on sandy bottoms, usually in deep water, down to depths of about 550 metres (1,800 ft). Males can grow to 53 centimetres (21 in) in length, females to 70 centimetres (28 in), and they can weigh up to 3.7 kilograms (8.2 lb). Its native habitat is the Eastern Pacific, stretching from the coast of Baja California in the south to the Aleutian Islands in the Bering Sea in the north.
The roughscale sole is an edible flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae. It is a demersal fish that lives on sandy, muddy bottoms at depths from 15 to 1,900 metres, though it is most commonly found at depths of between 400 and 600 metres. It can reach 62 centimetres (24 in) in length and can weigh up to 4.4 kilograms (9.7 lb). Its native habitat is the northern Pacific, from the coasts of China and Japan, across the Bering Sea to Alaska, Canada and the Californian coast of America.
The flathead sole is a flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae. It is a demersal fish that lives on soft, silty or muddy bottoms at depths of up to 1,050 metres (3,440 ft). Its native habitat is the northern Pacific, from the seas of Japan and Okhotsk, across the Bering Sea and to the coast of North America, as far south as Point Reyes, United States. It grows to 52 centimetres (20 in) in length, and can weigh up to 1.56 kilograms (3.4 lb); females are typically larger than males. Lifespan is at least 27 years for females and at least 30 years for males.
The slender sole is a flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae. It is a demersal fish that lives on bottoms near rocky areas at depths of between 25 and 800 metres. Its native habitat is the eastern Pacific coast, from the mouth of the Alsek River in Alaska in the north to Isla Cedros in Baja California, Mexico in the south. It can reach up to 35 centimetres (14 in) in length.
The butter sole is an edible flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae. It is a demersal fish that lives on soft, silty bottoms in temperate waters at depths between 20 and 425 m. Its native habitat is the northeastern Pacific, from the Bering Sea and the Aleutian Islands, along the coasts of Alaska, Canada, and the USA as far south as Ventura, California. It grows up to 55 cm (22 in) in length, and can live for up to 11 years.
The blackfin flounder is a flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae. It is a demersal fish that lives in temperate waters at depths of between 8 and 1,600 metres, though it is most commonly found between 15 and 800 metres. Its native habitat is the northern Pacific, from the Sea of Japan to the Strait of Tartary and southern Kuril Islands and out into the Bering Sea. It grows up to 52 centimetres (20 in) in length, and can weigh up to 1.5 kilograms (3.3 lb). Maximum reported lifespan is 23 years.
The rock sole, also known as the Pacific rock sole or Southern rock sole is a flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae. It is a demersal fish that lives on sand and gravel bottoms at depths of up to 575 metres (1,886 ft), though it is most commonly found between 0 and 183 metres. Its native habitat is the temperate waters of the northern Pacific, from Baja California to Alaska, the Aleutian Islands and southeastern parts of the Bering Sea. It grows up to 60 centimetres (24 in) in length and can weigh up to 1.8 kilograms (4.0 lb), and has a maximum recorded lifespan of 22 years.
Plaice is a common name for a group of flatfish that comprises four species: the European, American, Alaskan and scale-eye plaice.
The northern rock sole is a flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae. It is a demersal fish that lives on sand, mud and gravel bottoms at depths of up to 700 metres (2,300 ft), though it is most commonly found between 19 and 246 metres. Its native habitat is the temperate waters of the northern Pacific, from Puget Sound to Alaska, the Aleutian Islands and across the Bering Sea to the Kuril Islands and the Sea of Okhotsk. Males grow up to 69 centimetres (27 in) in length, whilst females can reach 49 centimetres (19 in). The maximum recorded lifespan is 18 years.
The C-O sole is a species of flatfish in the family Pleuronectidae. It is a demersal fish that lives on flat bottoms and rocky areas at depths of between 18 and 350 metres. Its native habitat is the temperate waters of the eastern Pacific, ranging from Sitka, Alaska in the north to San Quintín, Baja California in the south. It can grow up to 36 centimetres (14 in) in length.
The curlfin sole is a species of flatfish in the family Pleuronectidae. It was first described to science by David Starr Jordan and Charles Henry Gilbert, his long-time mentee.
The yellowfin sole is a flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae. It is a demersal fish that lives on soft, sandy bottoms at depths of up to 700 metres (2,300 ft), though it is most commonly found at depths of around 91 metres (299 ft). Its native habitat is the temperate waters of the northern Pacific, from Korea and the Sea of Japan to the Sea of Okhotsk, the Bering Sea and Barkley Sound on the west coast of Canada. Males grow up to 49 cm (19 in) in length, though the common length is around 33.5 cm (13.2 in). The maximum recorded weight is 1.7 kg (3.7 lb), and the maximum recorded lifespan is 26 years.
The Sakhalin sole is a flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae. It is a demersal fish that lives on bottoms at depths of between 10 and 360 metres, though it is most commonly found between around 50 and 100 metres. Its native habitat is the polar waters of the northwestern Pacific, from the Sea of Okhotsk to the west and central Bering Sea, as far as the Pribilof Islands. It can reach up to 36 centimetres (14 in) in length, though the common length is around 21.5 centimetres (8.5 in). The maximum recorded weight is 500 grams (18 oz), and the maximum recorded lifespan is 8 years.
The Arctic flounder, also known as the Christmas flounder, eelback flounder and Polar plaice, is a flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae. It is a demersal fish that lives on coastal mud bottoms in salt, brackish and fresh waters at depths of up to 90 metres (300 ft). Its native habitat is the polar waters of the northeastern Atlantic and Arctic oceans, from the White and Barents seas to the coasts of Siberia in Russia and Queen Maud Gulf in Canada, and from the Chuckchi and Bering seas to Bristol Bay in Alaska and the northern Sea of Okhotsk. It can grow up to 35 centimetres (14 in) in length.
