The Pacific sand sole (''Psettichthys melanostictus''), also known as simply sand sole, is a species of

flatfish A flatfish is a member of the Ray-finned fish, ray-finned demersal fish Order (biology), suborder Pleuronectoidei, also called the Heterosomata. In many species, both eyes lie on one side of the head, one or the other migrating through or around ...

found in the north-eastern Pacific waters where it lives on sandy bottoms. It is the only species in the genus ''Psettichthys'', and ranges from the Bering Sea to northern California.

Description and taxonomy

The Pacific sand sole, belongs to the order

Pleuronectiformes A flatfish is a member of the ray-finned demersal fish suborder Pleuronectoidei, also called the Heterosomata. In many species, both eyes lie on one side of the head, one or the other migrating through or around the head during development. Som ...

, and the family

Pleuronectidae Pleuronectidae, also known as righteye flounders, are a family of flounders. They are called "righteye flounders" because most species lie on the sea bottom on their left sides, with both eyes on their right sides. The Paralichthyidae are the o ...

. They are considered a flatfish due to their body shape, just like ''

Hippoglossus ''Hippoglossus'' is a genus of very large righteye flounders. It comprises two species of halibut, with one species native to the northern Atlantic Ocean and the other species native to the northern Pacific Ocean. Etymology The word ''hippoglos ...

'' (halibuts), ''

Solea Solea may refer to: * Solea, a simple sandal with a thong between the toes and a hobnailed sole from Roman times * Soleá, a form of Flamenco music * ''Solea'' (novel) by Jean-Claude Izzo * Soléa, a public transit system in the French city of Mul ...

'' (soles), and ''

Platichthys ''Platichthys'' is a genus of flatfish native to the North Pacific and North Atlantic oceans. Despite being in the family Pleuronectidae Pleuronectidae, also known as righteye flounders, are a family of flounders. They are called "righteye fl ...

'' (flounders). This fish can get over 62.95 cm (24.78 in) in length and on average this fish can weigh approximately 2.484 kg (5.476 lbs). Their dorsal side, which houses both of their eyes, can come in a variety of colors like gray, green, or brown, with blotches of dark brown or black. Their underside or ventral side is usually white. By obtaining these colors, the pacific sand sole fish can have a better advantage of camouflaging into their surroundings; making them harder to see by their prey.

Life cycle

When they are first born, their eyes are on both sides of their body like other fish. However, when the pacific sand sole starts to mature, one of their eyes starts to migrate to either the left or the right side of their body, just like a flounder when their eyes migrate. From that point, their eyes will stay that way. They will live on the bottom of the ocean, on the sand, lying on one side of their body, while both of their eyes are on top of their body.

Habitat

These fish can be found in and around the

Bering Sea The Bering Sea ( , ; rus, Бе́рингово мо́ре, r=Béringovo móre, p=ˈbʲerʲɪnɡəvə ˈmorʲe) is a marginal sea of the Northern Pacific Ocean. It forms, along with the Bering Strait, the divide between the two largest landmasse ...

, all the way down to

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

, in the northern Pacific Ocean. These fish will stay on the bottom of the ocean at an average depth of 155 m (508.53 ft). They live on the sandy bottoms of the ocean. They feed on other fish, worms,

crustaceans Crustaceans (from Latin meaning: "those with shells" or "crusted ones") are invertebrate animals that constitute one group of Arthropod, arthropods that are traditionally a part of the subphylum Crustacea (), a large, diverse group of mainly aquat ...

, and

mollusc Mollusca is a phylum of protostome, protostomic invertebrate animals, whose members are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 76,000 extant taxon, extant species of molluscs are recognized, making it the second-largest animal phylum ...

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from1=Q14672291, from2=Q2690286 Pleuronectidae Fish described in 1854 Taxa named by Charles Frédéric Girard