Right-eyed. Eyed side uniform dark grayish brown to olive brown. Blind side dirty white to light gray. Scales darker at edges. Body shape elongate diamond. Caudal fin crescent-shaped. Lateral line nearly straight with slight curve over pectoral fin; accessory dorsal branch absent. Mouth very large with two rows of large, sharp arrow-shaped teeth. Maxillary extends beyond posterior margin of lower eye. No fang-like tooth on vomer (bone in roof of mouth). Left eye on dorsal ridge (visible from blind side). 2 gill rakers on the second upper arch. Anal spine absent. Preopercle C-shaped (not angular). Anterior nostril on blind side has small flap. Dorsal fin origin at middle of eye.

To 86 cm (34 inches) and up to 17 pounds.
Often large, and females are bigger than males.

Eastern Bering Sea to San Pedro, southern California.

Soft bottoms from 10 to 400 fm. Most common at 150 to 220 fm.

Common in waters of Alaska through Oregon. Taken primarily in trawls. Not of high commercial value due to poor flesh quality. Used traditionally as animal feed, but human consumption increasing.

turbot , longjaw flounder, French sole

Picture: Bill Barss, ODFW
Text: Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Bulletin No. 47

Right-eyed. Eyed side light to dark brown or grayish brown with yellow or green mottling. Blind side white. Dorsal and anal fins edged with bright lemon yellow. Body shape oval. Caudal fin rounded to broad V-shape. Lateral line has low arch over pectoral fin; long accessory dorsal branch extends past gill cover. Mouth small. Teeth blunt, strongest on blind side. Maxillary extends below anterior part of eye. Eyes small. Space between eyes flat, narrow. Anal spine strong. Scales on eyed side rough, extend onto fin rays.

To 55 cm (22 inches).

Bering Sea to southern California.

0 - 232 fm.

Similar to rock sole, which has higher arch in lateral line and shorter accessory dorsal branch.

Bellingham sole, scalyfin sole, Skidegate sole

Picture: Bill Barss, ODFW.
Text: Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Bulletin No. 47.

Right-eyed. Eyed side reddish brown to dark brown or black, usually with brown or grey mottling. Fins dark; dorsal and anal fins broad. Blind side white. Body deep oval shape. Caudal fin rounded. Lateral line has slight curve over pectoral fin; long accessory dorsal branch reaches to midpoint of body. Mouth small. Maxillary extends to below anterior part of lower eye. Eyes large, closely set. High, bony ridge between eyes with tubercle or blunt spine at each end. Has 2 or 3 bony tubercles on head behind upper eye. Anal spine present. First 9 to 12 dorsal fin rays are on blind side. Origin or dorsal fin level with lower corner of mouth.

To 37 cm (15 inches).

Bering Sea to San Quintin Bay, Baja California.

Soft bottoms from 4 to 291 fm. Usually shallow.

Edibility very good. Similar to spotted and hornyhead turbots, which have 4 to 6 dorsal fin rays inserted on blind side.

California turbot, curlfin turbot

Picture: Bill Barss, ODFW
Text: Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Bulletin No. 47

Right-eyed. Eyed side brown or grayish brown; may be mottled with darker spots. Fins blackish toward edges. Blind side smudgy off-white to dark brownish gray. Body elongate with very small scales. Caudal fin rounded. Lateral line nearly straight; accessory dorsal branch absent. Mouth very small. Maxillary extends to below anterior of lower eye. Teeth mostly on blind side; teeth flat and incisor-like. Eyes large and bulging, with upper eye posterior to lower eye. Space between eyes convex. Anal spine absent. Soft, flabby body is slippery, because of large amounts of slime.

To 76 cm (30 inches) and up to 10 pounds. Average size in trawl catch is about 1 pound.

Bering Sea and eastern Aleutian Islands to San Cristobal Bay, Baja California.

On mud or sand bottoms from 5 to 750 fm. Commercial catches are from 40 to 550 fm.

Common and widely distributed. Important commercially; marketed as fillets. Good flavor and good keeping qualities. Poor flesh quality often found for fish caught below 300 fm.

slime sole, shortfinned sole, slippery sole

Picture: Bill Barss, ODFW
Text: Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Bulletin No. 47

Right-eyed. Eyed side usually uniform brown to olive brown but may have white speckles. Dorsal and ventral fin edges dark. Blind side white to pale yellow tinged with reddish brown. Body elongate, diamond shaped. Small head is slender and pointed. Caudal fin nearly square with slight point at center. Lateral line nearly straight with slight curve; long accessory dorsal branch. Mouth small and asymmetric. Jaws stronger on blind side. Maxillary extends to anterior edge of lower eye. High, narrow ridge between eyes. Anal spine strong. Scales smooth at anterior part of body and rough at posterior.

To 61 cm (24 inches). Average size in commerical catch (mostly females) is about 14 inches and 3/4 pound.

Bering sea and Aleutian Islands to San Cristobal Bay, Baja California.

On sand bottom from 0 to 300 fm. Young are intertidal. Commercial quantities caught at 15 to 80 fm.

Important commercial species caught by trawl. Good flavor. May have iodine flavor that is acceptable and even desirable in some markets.

lemon sole, California sole, pointed nose sole

Picture: Bill Barss, ODFW
Text: Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Bulletin No. 47

Right-eyed. Eyed side dark olive brown to reddish gray-brown, sometimes with dusky blotches. Blind side with white and translucent areas; dorsal and anal fins have dusky blotches. Pores under eye. Lateral line with little arch and no dorsal branch. Upper jaw is narrow in the middle and has 1 row of teeth.

To 56 cm (22 inches).

Alaska to Monterey, California.

Silty or muddy bottoms from 0 to 575 fm. (common 55 to 135 fm).

Good food fish. Becoming more important in commercial fishery.

cigarette paper, paper sole

Picture: ODFW
Text: Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Bulletin No. 47

Almost always right-eyed. Eyed side greenish brown to dark brown or black with lighter blotches. Blind side white to milky white. Body large and stout with elongate diamond shape. Caudal fin has crescent shape often indented near edges (double truncate). Lateral line has high arch over pectoral fin, accessory dorsal branch absent. Mouth large with two rows of teeth on upper jaw and one row on lower jaw. Maxillary reaches to below middle of lower eye. Area between eyes flat to slightly concave. Anal spine present. Scales small and smooth on both sides of body.

To 267 cm (105 inches) and 500 pounds. There are unverified reports of fish over 9 feet and 700 pounds. Average size in commercial catch is 30 to 40 pounds.

Sea of Japan and Sea of Okhotsk north to Gulf of Anadyr. Bering Sea south to Point Camalu, northern Baja California.

Found from 3 to 600 fm. Mostly in 15 to 150 fm in summer, but deeper in winter.

Abundant off Alaska. Largest most valuable flatfish in the northeast Pacific; important as commercial and sport fish. Similar to California halibut, which is often left-eyed, has larger mouth and less indented tail.

halibut, northern halibut, right halibut

Picture: Bill Barss, ODFW
Text: Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Bulletin No. 47

Left-eyed. Eyed side dull light brown, mottled with brown or black and sometimes yellow or orange. Blind side off-white to tan. Body oval, with large scales. Caudal fin only slightly rounded. Lateral line nearly straight; accessory dorsal branch absent. Mouth medium sized with maxillary extending below anterior part of lower eye. Eyes large. Anals spine absent. Gill rakers on lower limb of first arch are 12 to 16. Scale count in lateral line is 61 to 70.

To 41 cm (16 inches). To 2 pounds; most weigh less than 1/3 pound.

Sea of Japan, Aleutian Islands, Bering Sea, and south to Cape San Lucas, Baja California.

Sand or mud-sand bottom in 5 to 167 fm.; most abundant in 20 to 50 fm, rare below 100 fm. Common in shallow coastal water from British Columbia to California.

Excellent food fish. Regarded as a delicacy in California. Sometimes confused with speckled sanddab, which has black speckling on body. Positive identification of Pacific sanddab, gulf sanddab, speckled sanddab, and longfin sanddab require full gill raker and lateral line scale counts.

nottled sanddab, soft flounder, melgrim

Picture: Bill Barss, ODFW
Text: Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Bulletin No. 47

Right-eyed. Eyed side uniform light to dark brown. Blind side white, sometimes with pink traces. Body shape oval to round. Caudal fin longest in middle and slightly indented near edges. Lateral line with low curve over pectoral fin; accessory dorsal branch absent. Mouth large. Maxillary extends to below or slightly beyond middle of lower eye. Upper jaw with two rows of small, arrow-shaped teeth; one row of teeth on lower jaw. Posterior edge of lower jaw rounded. Eyes medium-sized with broad space between them. Anal spine strong.

To 70 cm (28 inches) and 8 pounds. Average size in trawl catch is about 1 to 2 pounds.

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands through Gulf of Alaska to Coronado Islands, northern Baja California.

On sand and mud bottoms from 10 to 300 fm. Most abundant at 30 to 70 fm from April through October and at 150 to 250 fm during winter.

Important commercially because of good size and excellent quality. Most caught by trawl and marketed as fresh or frozen fillets. Similar to flathead sole and Bering flounder which have one row of teeth on upper jaw.

brill, California sole, roundnosed sole

Picture: Bill Barss, ODFW
Text: Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Bulletin No. 47

Right-eyed. Eyed side uniform light brown to gray. Edges of dorsal and ventral fins dark or dusky. Pectoral fin on eyed side very long and mostly black. Blind side off-white to dusky. Body elongate. Caudal fin rounded with rays longest in center, forming a broad V. Lateral line nearly straight. Mouth very small. Maxillary extends to below anterior edge of lower eye. Snout rounded. Eyes large with ridge between them. Anal spine strong. Scales small.

To 61 cm (24 inches). Average size about 10 inches and 1/2 pound.

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands to Cedros Island, central Baja California.

Widely distributed on sand and mud bottoms from 10 to 465 fm. Most abundant at about 100 to 250 fm.

Abundant and excellent food fish. Commonly marketed "Rexed" which is head off and gutted.

longfinned sole, witch sole

Picture: Bill Barss, ODFW

Right-eyed. Eyed side gray to olive to dark brown or black, mottled with lighter or darker shades, sometimes spotted with yellow or red. Dorsal and anal fins have dark blotches or bars; fins may be yellowish near tail. Body thick, oval to round. Caudal fin rounded or in shape of a broad V. Lateral line has high arch; accessory dorsal branch short. Mouth small with fleshy lips. Maxillary extends below anterior edge of eye. Teeth more strongly developed on blind side. Eyes small. Anal spine strong. Scales rough, tuberculate on eyed side.

To 61 cm (24 inches) and 6 pounds. Weight is usually between 1 and 1.5 pounds.

In Sea of Japan and Sea of Okhotsk. From Bering Strait south to Tanner Bank off southern California.

On rocky, pebbly, or sandy bottoms form 0 to 200 fm. Most are caught in 20 to 40 fm.

Abundant off B.C. and Alaska. Good food fish. Similar to butter sole, which has a low lateral line arch and longer accessory dorsal branch.

broadfin sole, roughscale sole, two-lined flounder

Picture: Bill Barss, ODFW
Text: Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Bulletin No. 47

Right-eyed. Eyed side light green or gray to brown with fine, dark brown to black speckles. Skin on eyed side has the feel of fine sandpaper. Dorsal and anal fins often have dull yellow on edges. Blind side white. Body shape elongate to oval. Caudal fin rounded. Lateral line has slight curve over pectoral fin; accessory dorsal branch short to moderate. Mouth large with large teeth. Maxillary extends below middle of lower eye. Eyes small with flat, wide space between them. Anal spine strong. First few dorsal fin rays elongate and mostly free of membrane.

To 63 cm (25 inches) and over 5 pounds.

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands to Redondo Beach, southern California.

From near shore to about 100 fm. A shallow water species usually found shallower than 40 fm. Prefers sandy bottom.

Fine food fish. Common and often caught by sport fishermen from shore. A minor part of the commercial trawl catch.

fringe sole, sand flounder, spotted flounder

Picture: Bill Barss, ODFW
Text: Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Bulletin No. 47

Belongs to the right-eyed family, but can also be left-eyed. Eyed side olive to dark brown or almost black. Unpaired fins white to yellow to orange with black bars. Blind side white to creamy white. Body shape oval. Caudal fin nearly square or slightly rounded. Lateral line with slight curve over pectoral fin; accessory dorsal branch absent. Mouth small. Maxillary extends below anterior part of lower eye. Eyes small with lower eye anterior to upper eye. Space between eyes flat. Head slender, pointed. Anal spine strong. Scattered rough tubercles (star-like scales) on eyed side.

To 91 cm (36 inches) and 20 pounds. Usual size is 12 to 14 inches.

In Sea of Japan and Sea of Okhotsk. From Chukchi Sea, Bering Sea, and Aleutian Islands south to Los Angeles Harbor, California.

On mud, sand, or gravel bottoms from 0 to 205 fm; most occur above 80 fm. Usually found near shore. Often enter brackish or fresh water, and young fish are often intertidal.

Common. Important sport fish. Highly regarded as food fish, but has moderate commercial value. Processing difficult due to rough skin, and needs to be deep skinned to remove unappealing, dark fat layer.

diamond back, emerywheel, grindstone

Picture: Bill Barss, ODFW
Text: Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Bulletin No. 47