Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) >
Pleuronectiformes (Flatfishes) >
Pleuronectidae (Righteye flounders) > Pleuronectinae
Etymology: Hippoglossoides: Greek, ippos = horse + Greek, glossa = tongue + Suffix oides = similar to (Ref. 45335).
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Marine; demersal; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 10 - 3000 m (Ref. 58426), usually 90 - 250 m (Ref. 6263). Temperate; 77°N - 41°N, 72°W - 55°E
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm 35.0  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 82.6 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 58426); max. published weight: 6.4 kg (Ref. 7251); max. reported age: 30 years (Ref. 6263)
Slender body and a large mouth. Dorsal fin starts above left eye. Lateral line almost straight. Rough scales (Ref. 35388).
Eastern Atlantic: off eastern Greenland and from the English Channel to the coast of Murmansk. Western Atlantic: southern Labrador in Canada and western Greenland to Rhode Island in USA (Ref. 7251). Two subspecies were recognized, H. p. platessoides from northwestern Atlantic, and H. p. limandoides from the northeastern Atlantic (Ref. 51668).
Adults are most abundant from 90 m to 250 m deep and bottom temperatures of -0.5 to 2.5°C (Ref. 6263). Live on soft bottoms (Ref. 9988, 58426). Feed on invertebrates and small fishes. Batch spawner (Ref. 51486). Marketed fresh and frozen; eaten steamed, fried, microwaved and baked (Ref. 9988).
Cooper, J.A. and F. Chapleau, 1998. Monophyly and intrarelationships of the family Pleuronectidae (Pleuronectiformes), with a revised classification. Fish. Bull. 96(4):686-726.
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 90363)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: highly commercial
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Estimates of some properties based on empirical models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82805): PD
50 = 0.5625 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00556 (-0.11639 - 0.12751), b=3.06049 (2.98516 - 3.13582), based on LWR estimates for species & family-BS (Ref.
93245).
Trophic Level (Ref.
69278): 3.7 ±0.5 se; Based on diet studies.
Resilience (Ref.
69278): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (rm=0.43; K=0.06-0.12; tm=2-11; tmax=30; Fec=50,000).
Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): High to very high vulnerability (66 of 100) .