Curlfin sole

Curlfin sole
Curlfin sole
Conservation status
Not evaluated
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Pleuronectiformes
Family: Pleuronectidae
Genus: Pleuronichthys
Species: P. decurrens
Binomial name
Pleuronichthys decurrens
(Jordan & Gilbert, 1881)
Distribution of Curlfin sole

The Curlfin sole, Pleuronichthys decurrens, is a flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae. It is a demersal fish that lives on soft bottoms at depths of between 8 and 530 metres (26 and 1,740 ft). Its native habitat is the subtropical waters of the eastern Pacific, from Prince William Sound, Alaska in the north to San Quintín, Baja California in the south. It can grow up to 37 centimetres (15 in) in length, and reach weights of up to 775 grams (1.71 lb), with females generally being larger than males.[1][2]

Contents

Description

The Curlfin sole is a right-eyed flatfish with large, closely set eyes and a small mouth. The upper surface is reddish brown to dark brown or black, usually with brown or grey mottling; the underside is light. The fins are dark in colour, and the caudal fin is rounded. There is a high, bony ridge between the eyes with a blunt spine at each end.[3]

Diet

The diet of the Curlfin sole consists mainly of zoobenthos polychaetes, crustacean eggs and brittle stars.[1][2]

Reproduction

The Curlfin sole spawns from April to August, and eggs hatch within seven days of fertilisation.[2]

References