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Adriatic sole (Pegusa impar) — Soleidae

Adriatic sole

Pegusa impar
Family: Soleidae
LC · Least Concern

The Adriatic sole (Pegusa impar) is a saltwater fish of the family Soleidae that grows up to 35 cm.

Length
35 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
5.0–100.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Flatfish
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The Adriatic sole is a tongue-shaped flatfish of the family Soleidae reaching about 35 cm. Like the common sole it lies on its side with both eyes on the right side, which is brownish with dark spots; the rounded snout and the continuous fin fringe around the body are typical of the soles, and the pectoral fin often bears a conspicuous black blotch. The species lives on sand and mud bottoms of the Mediterranean and the adjacent eastern Atlantic, from shallow to moderate depths, where it buries itself in the bottom by day. At night it searches the bottom for worms, small crustaceans and molluscs. With its fine flesh it is locally a valued food fish.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Adriatic sole?

The Adriatic sole has a flatfish-shaped body, is mainly brown and shows a spots pattern.

Where does the Adriatic sole live?

The Adriatic sole lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Adriatic sole get?

The Adriatic sole grows to a maximum of about 35 cm. On average the species is around 18 cm.

Is the Adriatic sole dangerous to humans?

No, the Adriatic sole is harmless to humans.

Is the Adriatic sole edible?

Yes, the Adriatic sole is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Adriatische tong inferred
English name
Adriatic sole verified
Scientific name
Pegusa impar
Family
Soleidae
Other names
Adriatic sole verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
35.0 verified
Average length (cm)
18.0 verified
Body shape
Flatfish verified
Dominant colour
Brown sourced
Pattern
Spots sourced
Tail shape
Rounded inferred
Mouth position
Inferior (downward) inferred
Lips
Thick / fleshy inferred
Barbels
No verified
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
No verified

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater verified
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom verified
Min depth (m)
5.0 verified
Max depth (m)
100.0 verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore verified
Social behaviour
Solitary verified
Territorial
No verified
Activity
Nocturnal inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes verified
Sexual dimorphism
No verified
levensduur_max_jaar
12.0 verified

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten verified
Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Pegusa

More from the family Soleidae

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