Sand Sole

Psettichthys melanostictus

Sand Sole

Psettichthys melanostictus

Other Common Names
Pacific Sand Sole, Fringe sole, Sand Brill, Spotted Flounder, Sand Flounder

Sandy Coast

Other Common Names

Pacific Sand Sole, Fringe sole, Sand Brill, Spotted Flounder, Sand Flounder

At the Aquarium

Sandy Coast

Appearance

This flatfish has tiny eyes, a large mouth, and an angular jaw. The first few rays of the dorsal fin are unwebbed and very long. The tail is rounded.

Habitat

Sandy bottoms from the intertidal to the continental slope, but usually at depths under 230 feet

Diet

Other flatfish, herring, anchovies, crustaceans, worms, and mollusks

Life History

Spawn in late winter through mid-spring. An 11 inch female will produce ~900,000 eggs, while a 14.6 inch female will produce ~1,400,000 eggs. The eggs are round and drift for 3-7 days before hatching just 0.1 inches long, with the yolk sac visible until 10-12 days of age. The larvae complete metamorphosis by the time that they are 1 inch long. During metamorphosis, the left eye migrates across the top of the head to the right side and the fin rays form. Juveniles will settle in estuaries or shallow coastal waters. As they mature, they will move to deeper waters. These fish can live up to 10 years and reach lengths of 25 inches.

IUCN Status

Least Concern

Ecosystem & Cultural Importance

These fish are integral members of marine food webs. The eggs and larvae are eaten by small fishes and birds while adults are eaten by larger fishes, including coho and Chinook salmon, sharks, and marine mammals, including harbor seals.

Alaska to California

This fish can be caught recreationally from shore.

Sand soles are right-eyed flatfish, because their left eye migrates to the right side of their head.

Citations & Other Resources

Bryan, M., Spies, I., Stevenson, D. & Munroe, T.A. 2021. Psettichthys melanostictus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T158633166A158638106. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021- 3.RLTS.T158633166A158638106.en
Love, Milton S. Certainly more than you want to know about the fishes of the Pacific Coast: a postmodern experience. Really Big Press: Santa Barbara. 2011. 649 pp. ISBN 978-0-9628725-6-3.
Mola Marine e-book: Flatfish Made Easy by Gregory C. Jensen: https://molamarine.com/assets/images/flatfish%20made%20easy.pdf
Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan: https://www.pcouncil.org/documents/2019/06/groundfish-fmp-appendix-b-part-2.pdf/
Pearson, Donald E., and Samuel VG McNally. inchesAge, growth, life history, and fisheries of the sand sole, Psettichthys melanostictus.inches Marine Fisheries Review 67.4 (2005): 9-18.

Sand Sole

Sand Sole

Other Common Names

At the Aquarium

Appearance

Habitat

Diet

Life History

IUCN Status

Ecosystem & Cultural Importance

Citations & Other Resources

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