Kingdom Animalia Class Actinopterygii Family Pleuronectidae Scientific name Pleuronichthys coenosus | Phylum Chordata Order Pleuronectiformes Genus Pleuronichthys Rank Species | |
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Similar Curlfin sole, English sole, Butter sole, Pacific sand sole, Slender sole | ||
The crazy life of the c o sole fish
The C-O sole, Pleuronichthys coenosus, is a flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae. It is a demersal fish that lives on flat bottoms and rocky areas at depths of between 18 and 350 metres (59 and 1,148 ft). Its native habitat is the subtropical waters of the eastern Pacific, ranging from Sitka, Alaska in the north to San QuintÃn, Baja California in the south. It can grow up to 36 centimetres (14 in) in length.
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Nomenclature
The C-O sole gets its name from the markings on its caudal fin: a crescent shape and a ring, which resemble a letter C and a letter O.
Description
The C-O sole is a right-eyed flatfish with large, bulbous eyes located near the tip of the snout. The upper surface is mottled light to dark brown, with occasional white spots; there is usually a prominent mid-body dark spot with a pale patch behind it. The underside is light. There is a dark crescent-shaped marking and a large dark spot on the caudal fin, which together resemble the letters C and O.
Diet
The diet of the C-O sole consists mainly of zoobenthos polychaetes, bivalves and amphipods.