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Platichthys flesus:   (click for more)

Platichthys flesus:   (click for more)

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Synonyms
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    		• Pleuronectes flesus  Linnaeus, 1758: 270 (original description).
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    		• Pleuronectes passer  Linnaeus, 1758: 271.
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    		• Pleuronectes flesoides  Pontoppidan, 1766: 188.
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    		• Pleuronectes roseus  Shaw, 1796: pl. 238.
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    		• Platessa carnaria  Brown, 1830: 99.
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    		• Platessa glabra  Rathke, 1837: 352.
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    		• Pleuronectes luscus  Pallas, 1814: 427.
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    		• Pleuronectes italicus  Pallas, 1814, in Berg, 1949: 1190.
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    		• Platessa flesus var. marmorata  Nordmann, 1840: 532.
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    		• Pleuronectes bogdanovii  Sandeberg, 1878: 236.
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    		• Flesus vulgaris  Moreau, 1881: 299.
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    		• Pleuronectes flesus var. leiurus  Duncker, 1892: 280.
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    		• Pleuronectes flesus var. trachurus  Duncker, 1892: 280, 291.
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    		• Pleuronectes flesus baltica  Suvorov, 1925: 280.
  •  
    		• Pleuronectes flesus caninensis  Suvorov, 1929: 111.
    FAO Names
    En - European flounder, Fr - Flet d'Europe, Sp - Platija europea.
    3Alpha Code: FLE     Taxonomic Code: 1830204802
    Diagnostic Features
    Body rather deep, about twice in standard length.  Some scales much modified; normal scales cycloid in both sexes;  lateral line almost straight. Often with the eyes on the left side (in certain areas one-third of population is reversed).  Dorsal finrays 52 to 67. Anal finrays 36 to 46.  Lateral line scales about 80.  Colour brownish, greyish or olivaceus, uniform or variously blotched and mottled with darker marks; fain red spots on the eyed side. 
    Geographical Distribution

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    Eastern Atlantic, from the White Sea to Mediterranean and Black Sea. (See Remarks).
    Habitat and Biology
    Benthic,at shallow depths with soft bottoms (to 55 m);often found in brackish water and in rivers and lakes.Feeds on a small fishes and invertebrates.The species is mainly nocturnal and burrowing.
    Spawns in February-June. In some areas, e. g. western Baltic, it hybridizes with the plaice (Pleuronectes platessa ) and the hybrids are very common. 
    Size
    To about 52 cm, seldom more than 30 cm.
    Interest to Fisheries
    Global Capture production for
    Platichthys flesus
    (FAO Fishery Statistic)
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    Mainly important to fisheries in Baltic and Danish waters. The total catch reported for this species to FAO for 1999 was 11 879 t. The countries with the largest catches were Denmark (3 528 t) and Netherland (3 159 t).
    The most common fishing techniques are "demersal bottom trawling" and "small flatfish (flounders, soles) bottom trawling".
    Marketed fresh and frozen; can be steamed, fried, boiled, microwaved and baked.
    related Related Fishing Techniques
    Local Names
    Bulgarian : Pisia .
    Catalan : Plana ,  Rèmol de riu .
    Danish : Flynder ,  Skrubbe .
    Dutch : Bot .
    English : Butt ,  European flounder ,  Flounder ,  Fluke ,  Mud flounder ,  White fluke .
    Finnish : Kampela .
    French : Flet .
    Gaelic/Irish : Leadhbhóg .
    German : Butt ,  Flunder ,  Struffbutt .
    Greek : Chamatída ,  Cheimara .
    Icelandic : Flundra .
    Italian : Passera ,  Passera nera ,  Passera planuzza .
    Japanese : Karei .
    Manx : Liehbage .
    Norwegian : Skrubbe .
    Polish : Stornia .
    Portuguese : Petruca ,  Solha ,  Solha das pedras patrúcia .
    Rumanian : Cambula ,  Rechnaja kambala .
    Russian : Morsknaja kambala ,  Rechnaja kambala .
    Serbo-Croat : Iverak ,  Jandroga .
    Slovene : Jezik .
    Spanish : Platija .
    Swedish : Flundra ,  Skrubba ,  Skrubb-flundra ,  Skrubbskädda .
    Turkish : Derepisi baligi ,  Derepisisi .
    Remarks
    Subspecies Platichthys flesus flesus: lower part of anterior gill arch with 9-13 rakers. Post-ocular ridge ending in a rounded prominence. White Sea to western Mediterranean. Platichthys flesus luscus: lower part of anterior gill arch with 8 rakers. Post-ocular ridge ending in a sharp prominence. Eastern Mediterranean, Black Sea.
    Bibliography
    Alegre, M., J. Lleonart & J. Veny - 1992Espècies Pesqueres d'interès comercial. Nomenclatura oficial catalana. Generalitat de Catalunya. Departament de Cultura, DARP, TERMCAT. 64 pp.
    Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2003. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org
    Nielsen, J. - 1986 Pleuronectidae. In: P.J.P. Whitehead et al., (eds.). Fishes of the North-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean (FNAM). Unesco, Paris, vol. III: 1299-1307. Wheeler, A.- 1978. Key to the Fishes of Northern Europe. A guide to the identification of more than 350 species. Frederick Warne (Publishers) Ltd., London. 380 pp.
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