Butter sole (Isopsetta isolepis)

Scientific name: Isopsetta isolepis Lockington, 1880

Butter sole (Isopsetta isolepis)

The Butter sole (Isopsetta isolepis) is a marine fish of the family Pleuronectidae. Native range: Eastern Pacific, Bristol Bay in the southeastern Bering Sea and Amchitka Island (Aleutian Islands) to Ventura, California, USA.

Biology

Common in shallow water on soft, silty bottom. Moves into shallow water in summer and to deeper water in winter. Spawning adults exhibit north-south migrations. Feeds on chaetopod marine worms, young herring, shrimps, and sand dollars. A tasty food fish, sometimes marketed. Also used for mink food.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Isopsetta isolepis
Family
Pleuronectidae (Righteye flounders)
Order
Pleuronectiformes (Flatfishes)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
55.0
Depth range
20–425 m (66–1394 ft)
Environment
Marine; demersal; oceanodromous; depth range 20 - 425 m
Climate
Temperate
Distribution
Eastern Pacific: Bristol Bay in the southeastern Bering Sea and Amchitka Island (Aleutian Islands) to Ventura, California, USA.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.26; tmax=11; tm=2)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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