Home · Achiridae · Brown sole
Brown sole (Achirus klunzingeri) — Achiridae

Brown sole

Achirus klunzingeri
Family: Achiridae
LC · Least Concern

The Brown sole (Achirus klunzingeri) is a saltwater fish of the family Achiridae that grows up to 23 cm.

Length
23 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
14.0–40.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Flat / disc-shaped
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The brown sole is a small flatfish from the eastern tropical Pacific, ranging from central Mexico to northern Peru. It grows to about 23 cm and has the typical strongly flattened, asymmetric body of a sole, with both eyes on the upper side and long dorsal and anal fins fringing the body. The fish lives on shallow sand and mud bottoms between about 14 and 40 metres depth and feeds as a bottom hunter on small invertebrates. The species is of minor commercial importance. The IUCN assesses it as Least Concern (LC).

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Brown sole?

The Brown sole has a flattened, disc-shaped body, is mainly brown and shows a marbled pattern.

Where does the Brown sole live?

The Brown sole lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Brown sole get?

The Brown sole grows to a maximum of about 23 cm.

Is the Brown sole dangerous to humans?

No, the Brown sole is harmless to humans.

Is the Brown sole edible?

The Brown sole is rarely eaten.

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →

All data

Identification

Dutch name
Bruine Amerikaanse tong verified
English name
Brown sole verified
Scientific name
Achirus klunzingeri
Family
Achiridae
Other names
Brown sole verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
23.0 verified
Body shape
Flat / disc-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Brown inferred
Pattern
Marbled inferred
Tail shape
Rounded inferred
Mouth position
Terminal sourced
Lips
Thin sourced
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
14.0 verified
Max depth (m)
40.0 verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore inferred
Social behaviour
Solitary sourced
Territorial
No sourced
Activity
Nocturnal inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Achirus

More from the family Achiridae

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →