About Solea solea (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common sole, with the scientific name Solea solea (Linnaeus, 1758), has small eyes positioned close together on the right side of its body. This placement lets the fish lurk half-buried in sand to wait for passing prey. Like all other flatfishes, common sole hatch as "ordinary" fish with one eye on each side of the body. Young fish begin their flatfish metamorphosis when they are about one centimeter long. The upper side of the common sole is greyish-brown, while its underside is white. This species can reach a maximum length of 70 cm (28 in). In the United Kingdom, commercially caught small common sole are called "slip". Common sole prefer relatively shallow water between 10 and 60 meters deep, with a sand or mud bottom. They can also be found at depths up to 200 meters. Their preferred water temperature ranges from 8 to 24 °C. This species occurs in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean, ranging from the south of Norway to Senegal, and in almost all of the Mediterranean Sea. During winter, common sole move to the somewhat warmer waters of the southern North Sea. One known ectoparasite of common sole is the leech Hemibdella soleae. Leech larvae settle on the upper surface of the fish, which is the only part of the fish that is not buried in sediment. After further development, the larvae migrate to the underside of the fish, where they attach using their suckers and feed on the fish's blood.
