The Pacific Dover sole (''Microstomus pacificus''), also called the slime sole or slippery sole, is a

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the cont ...

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 ...

of the flounder family which ranges from

Baja California Baja California, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California, is a state in Mexico. It is the northwesternmost of the 32 federal entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1952, the area was known as the North Territory of B ...

to 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 ...

. It takes its name from a resemblance to the

common sole The common sole, Dover sole, or black sole (''Solea solea'') is a species of flatfish in the family Soleidae. It is one of the largest fish in the '' Solea'' genus. It lives on the sandy or muddy seabed of the northern Atlantic and the Mediter ...

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

, which is often called Dover sole. Pacific Dover sole can live for 45 years. The species was identified in proximity to a methane seep off the coast of Del Mar in

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 ...

. They

spawn Spawn or spawning may refer to: * Spawning, the eggs and sperm of aquatic animals Arts, entertainment and media * Spawn (character), a fictional character in the comic series of the same name and in the associated franchise ** ''Spawn: Armageddon' ...

annually in the winter season in deep water between and . Males begin to spawn at four years of age, while females begin to spawn at age five.

Use as food

Pacific Dover sole is generally sold whole, in steaks, or in fillets. The skin is generally removed before cooking, as it is slimy. It is mild-tasting, with firm flesh, though "not as mild as European Dover sole". The

Monterey Bay Aquarium Monterey Bay Aquarium is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit public aquarium in Monterey, California. Known for its regional focus on the marine habitats of Monterey Bay, it was the first to exhibit a living kelp forest when it opened in Octob ...

Seafood Watch lists Pacific Dover Sole from California, US West Coast, and Alaska fisheries as "Best Choice", with fish from British Columbia listed as a "Good Alternative" due to concerns over

bycatch Bycatch (or by-catch), in the fishing industry, is a fish or other marine species that is caught unintentionally while fishing for specific species or sizes of wildlife. Bycatch is either the wrong species, the wrong sex, or is undersized or juve ...

of overfished and otherwise at-risk species.

Nutrition

Nutrition information for Pacific Dover sole is as follows.Exact Scientific Services. (2023). ''West Coast Groundfish Nutrient Profiles: Exact Scientific Lab Results.'' Commissioned by Jana Hennig. Retrieved from https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a3051588fd4d2db4fb25f26/t/63e40842950bac0c12f8e22b/1675888709465/0+West+Coast+Groundfish+nutrient+profiles+-+Exact+Scientific+lab+results.pdf

References

* * {{Authority control Pacific Dover sole Western North American coastal fauna Dover sole Taxa named by William Neale Lockington