Plaice

Distribution: From the western Mediterranean and along all European coasts to the White and Barents Seas

Size Length: up to 100 cm

Weight: up to 7 Kg

Age of maturity: 2‒5 years

Diet: Carnivorous

IUCN red list status: Least Concern



The plaice is one of the most important commercial flatfish in Europe. As a typical flatfish it has an oval body, the upper side is brown with numerous orange/red spots and they are able to change their color to match the surroundings. The lower side is mainly white.

After hatching, larvae spend about 6 weeks at the surface of the water before the transformation into adults. One of the most remarkable changes happens when the left eye moves around the head to the right side, which enables the fish to lie flat on the bottom, often partly buried.

His diet is based on bottom-living animals like thin-shelled mollusks and polychaetes.

The species is currently recovering from over-exploitation. It is also being harvested for human consumption, and for sport fishing.