Soles
Soles are the common names for the members of the Soleidae family. The family members have both eyes on the right side of their head and margin of preoperculum completely covered by skin and scales. There is no spine in their fins and their dorsal fin extends far forward on head. Their dorsal and anal fins may be attached or not attached to caudal fin where they sometimes might look like flounders.
Members of the Soleidae are found in the Eastern Atlantic, Indian and Pacific waters. There are 32 genera and 174 species worldwide. They commonly inhabit shallow marine waters on mud and sand bottoms. Some species occur in brackish waters near river mouth but they are rarely found in freshwater. They feed mostly on small crustaceans and other bottom-living animals.
Members of the Soleidae are found in the Eastern Atlantic, Indian and Pacific waters. There are 32 genera and 174 species worldwide. They commonly inhabit shallow marine waters on mud and sand bottoms. Some species occur in brackish waters near river mouth but they are rarely found in freshwater. They feed mostly on small crustaceans and other bottom-living animals.
Scientific Name: Brachirus orientalis (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
English Name: Oriental Sole, Blotched Sole, Black Sole
Chinese Name | 鱼类中文名: 箬鳎 (Ruò tǎ), 右口鱼 (Yòu kǒu yú)
Japanese Name | 和名: ミナミシマウシノシタ (Minamishima ushinoshita)
Malay Name | Bahasa Melayu Malaysia: Ikan Lidah. Lidah-bronok Timur
Thai Name | ชื่อสามัญภาษาไทย: ปลาลิ้นควายขนดำ (Plā lînkhwāy k̄hn dả)
Main Identification Features: Eyed side grey or brown with numerous, cloudy,and indistinct patches. Blind side uniformly light yellow, without sooty blotches. Eyed-side pectoral fin darkly pigmented with black blotch near distal tip and with white margin.
Size: Maximum total length about 38 cm, commonly 10 to 12 cm.
Habitat and Ecology: Inhabits shallow, soft substrates of streams, lakes, estuaries, and along coastal areas, to 42 m depth. Feeds mainly on benthic invertebrates, especially small crustaceans.
Scientific Name: Pardachirus pavoninus (Lacepède, 1802)
English Name: Peacock Sole, Ocellated Sole
Chinese Name | 鱼类中文名: 豹鳎 (Bào tǎ), 眼斑豹鳎 (Yǎn bān bào tǎ)
Japanese Name | 和名: ミナミウシノシタ (Minami ushinoshita)
Malay Name | Bahasa Melayu Malaysia: Ikan Chondong, Lidah, Nenipis, Sebelah, Sisa Nabi, Lidah Merak
Thai Name | ชื่อสามัญภาษาไทย: ปลาลิ้นหมาลายนกยูง (Plā lînh̄mā lāy nokyūng)
Main Identification Features: Body oblong and very compressed. Eye side reddish brown, densely spotted of various sizes and shapes. Spot bordered by a dark rim and some with a blackish spot on center. Mouth small and highly curved. Cleft of mouth reaches beyond anterior of lower eye. Dorsal fin originate on snout. No pectoral fins. Caudal fin separated from the dorsal and anal fins. Series of toxin glands with pores along bases of dorsal and anal fin rays.
Size: Maximum total length about 25.0 cm, commonly 10 to 15 cm.
Habitat and Ecology: Inhabits shallow sand or mud bottoms in coastal waters, from 2 to 56 m depth. Feeds mainly on bottom-living invertebrates, including worms, small crustaceans, and mollusks. Toxic milky mucus fluid from dorsal and anal fin pores may be lethal to small fishes and may repel predators.
Scientific Name: Synaptura commersonnii (Lacepède, 1802)
English Name: Commerson's Sole
Chinese Name | 鱼类中文名: 舌鰨 (Shé tǎ), 右口鱼 (Yòu kǒu yú)
Malay Name | Bahasa Melayu Malaysia: Ikan Lidah, Lidah-daun Tirus, Lidah Lumpur
Thai Name | ชื่อสามัญภาษาไทย: ปลาลิ้นหมาขอบครีบขาว (Plā lînh̄mā k̄hxb khrīb k̄hāw)
Local Teochew: Leng Chik
Main Identification Features: Eyes on right side. Dorsal and anal fins joined to caudal fin. Dorsal, anal, and caudal fins dusky towards edges of both sides and with a conspicuous white margin. Right pectoral fin dusky.
Size: Maximum total length about 32 cm, commonly 20 to 30 cm.
Habitat and Ecology: Inhabits sand or mud bottoms in coastal and estuarine waters, from 20 to 60 m depth. Feeds mainly on benthic invertebrates, especially small crustaceans.
Scientific Name: Zebrias zebra (Bloch, 1787)
English Name: Zebra Sole
Chinese Name | 鱼类中文名: 条鳎 (Tiáo tǎ)
Japanese Name | 和名: 縞牛舌 (Shima ushi shita), シマウシノシタ (Shima ushinoshita)
Malay Name | Bahasa Melayu Malaysia: Ikan Lidah Zebra, Lidah-zebra
Indonesian Name | Nama Indonesia: Ikan Lidah Zebra, Kletket, Ilat-ilat
Thai Name | ชื่อสามัญภาษาไทย: ปลาลิ้นหมาม้าลาย (Plā lînh̄mā m̂ālāy)
Main Identification Features: Dorsal and anal fins completely joined to caudal fin. Pectoral fins attached to opercular membrane. Yellow-brown on eyed side, with paired, dark brown cross bands continued onto fins, where they bend posteriorly. A white-bordered dark ocellus on caudal fin.
Size: Maximum total length about 26 cm, commonly to 16 cm.
Habitat and Ecology: Inhabits shallow sand and mud bottoms of coastal waters, from 5 to 40 m depth. Feeds mainly on benthic invertebrates, especially small crustaceans.
English Name: Oriental Sole, Blotched Sole, Black Sole
Chinese Name | 鱼类中文名: 箬鳎 (Ruò tǎ), 右口鱼 (Yòu kǒu yú)
Japanese Name | 和名: ミナミシマウシノシタ (Minamishima ushinoshita)
Malay Name | Bahasa Melayu Malaysia: Ikan Lidah. Lidah-bronok Timur
Thai Name | ชื่อสามัญภาษาไทย: ปลาลิ้นควายขนดำ (Plā lînkhwāy k̄hn dả)
Main Identification Features: Eyed side grey or brown with numerous, cloudy,and indistinct patches. Blind side uniformly light yellow, without sooty blotches. Eyed-side pectoral fin darkly pigmented with black blotch near distal tip and with white margin.
Size: Maximum total length about 38 cm, commonly 10 to 12 cm.
Habitat and Ecology: Inhabits shallow, soft substrates of streams, lakes, estuaries, and along coastal areas, to 42 m depth. Feeds mainly on benthic invertebrates, especially small crustaceans.
Scientific Name: Pardachirus pavoninus (Lacepède, 1802)
English Name: Peacock Sole, Ocellated Sole
Chinese Name | 鱼类中文名: 豹鳎 (Bào tǎ), 眼斑豹鳎 (Yǎn bān bào tǎ)
Japanese Name | 和名: ミナミウシノシタ (Minami ushinoshita)
Malay Name | Bahasa Melayu Malaysia: Ikan Chondong, Lidah, Nenipis, Sebelah, Sisa Nabi, Lidah Merak
Thai Name | ชื่อสามัญภาษาไทย: ปลาลิ้นหมาลายนกยูง (Plā lînh̄mā lāy nokyūng)
Main Identification Features: Body oblong and very compressed. Eye side reddish brown, densely spotted of various sizes and shapes. Spot bordered by a dark rim and some with a blackish spot on center. Mouth small and highly curved. Cleft of mouth reaches beyond anterior of lower eye. Dorsal fin originate on snout. No pectoral fins. Caudal fin separated from the dorsal and anal fins. Series of toxin glands with pores along bases of dorsal and anal fin rays.
Size: Maximum total length about 25.0 cm, commonly 10 to 15 cm.
Habitat and Ecology: Inhabits shallow sand or mud bottoms in coastal waters, from 2 to 56 m depth. Feeds mainly on bottom-living invertebrates, including worms, small crustaceans, and mollusks. Toxic milky mucus fluid from dorsal and anal fin pores may be lethal to small fishes and may repel predators.
Scientific Name: Synaptura commersonnii (Lacepède, 1802)
English Name: Commerson's Sole
Chinese Name | 鱼类中文名: 舌鰨 (Shé tǎ), 右口鱼 (Yòu kǒu yú)
Malay Name | Bahasa Melayu Malaysia: Ikan Lidah, Lidah-daun Tirus, Lidah Lumpur
Thai Name | ชื่อสามัญภาษาไทย: ปลาลิ้นหมาขอบครีบขาว (Plā lînh̄mā k̄hxb khrīb k̄hāw)
Local Teochew: Leng Chik
Main Identification Features: Eyes on right side. Dorsal and anal fins joined to caudal fin. Dorsal, anal, and caudal fins dusky towards edges of both sides and with a conspicuous white margin. Right pectoral fin dusky.
Size: Maximum total length about 32 cm, commonly 20 to 30 cm.
Habitat and Ecology: Inhabits sand or mud bottoms in coastal and estuarine waters, from 20 to 60 m depth. Feeds mainly on benthic invertebrates, especially small crustaceans.
Scientific Name: Zebrias zebra (Bloch, 1787)
English Name: Zebra Sole
Chinese Name | 鱼类中文名: 条鳎 (Tiáo tǎ)
Japanese Name | 和名: 縞牛舌 (Shima ushi shita), シマウシノシタ (Shima ushinoshita)
Malay Name | Bahasa Melayu Malaysia: Ikan Lidah Zebra, Lidah-zebra
Indonesian Name | Nama Indonesia: Ikan Lidah Zebra, Kletket, Ilat-ilat
Thai Name | ชื่อสามัญภาษาไทย: ปลาลิ้นหมาม้าลาย (Plā lînh̄mā m̂ālāy)
Main Identification Features: Dorsal and anal fins completely joined to caudal fin. Pectoral fins attached to opercular membrane. Yellow-brown on eyed side, with paired, dark brown cross bands continued onto fins, where they bend posteriorly. A white-bordered dark ocellus on caudal fin.
Size: Maximum total length about 26 cm, commonly to 16 cm.
Habitat and Ecology: Inhabits shallow sand and mud bottoms of coastal waters, from 5 to 40 m depth. Feeds mainly on benthic invertebrates, especially small crustaceans.
