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Japanese zebra sole (Pseudaesopia japonica) — Soleidae

Japanese zebra sole

Pseudaesopia japonica
Family: Soleidae

The Japanese zebra sole (Pseudaesopia japonica) is a fish of the family Soleidae that grows up to 15 cm.

Length
15 cm
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Nocturnal
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The Japanese zebra sole is a sole (Soleidae) from coastal waters of the northwest Pacific, off East Asia. The species grows to about 15 cm and has an oval, strongly flattened body with both eyes on the right side and a striking pattern of dark crossbars, like a zebra. As a bottom-dweller it lies half-buried on sand and mud bottoms of shallow coastal water and hunts small worms and crustaceans. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Japanese zebra sole?

The Japanese zebra sole is mainly brown and shows a vertical stripes pattern.

Where does the Japanese zebra sole live?

The Japanese zebra sole is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Japanese zebra sole get?

The Japanese zebra sole grows to a maximum of about 15 cm. On average the species is around 9 cm.

Is the Japanese zebra sole dangerous to humans?

No, the Japanese zebra sole is harmless to humans.

Is the Japanese zebra sole edible?

The Japanese zebra sole is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Japanse zebratong sourced
English name
Japanese zebra sole sourced
Scientific name
Pseudaesopia japonica
Family
Soleidae

Appearance

Max length (cm)
15.0 verified
Average length (cm)
9.0 sourced
Dominant colour
Brown sourced
Pattern
Vertical bars sourced
Tail shape
Rounded inferred
Mouth position
Inferior (downward) sourced
Lips
Thin sourced
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

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

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

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

More from the family Soleidae

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