English Sole

These fish spawn in offshore waters during an extended spawning season that varies annually, with a peak as early as September or as late as April. A newly sexually mature 3-year-old female at 12 in. long releases ~150,000 eggs, while a ten-year-old 17 in. long female will release ~1.95 million eggs. These eggs float and hatch in 3-12 days, depending on temperature. English sole are in the righteye flounder family. Metamorphosis begins when the larva is 0.6-0.7 in. long, at which point the left eye migrates to the right side of the face. Metamorphosis is complete by the time the fish reaches 0.8-0.9 in. long. Metamorphosis, which includes a change from swimming upright to side-swimming, occurs between 70 and 100 days of age. After metamorphosis, most juveniles move into estuaries though a few stay in the shallow waters of the open coast.
English sole can reach a maximum length of 24 in. long and live to ~23 years.