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Whitespotted sole (Synaptura albomaculata) — Soleidae

Whitespotted sole

Synaptura albomaculata
Family: Soleidae

The Whitespotted sole (Synaptura albomaculata) is a brackish-water fish of the family Soleidae that grows up to 30 cm.

Length
30 cm
Water
Brackish
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Flat / disc-shaped
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless

Description

The whitespotted sole is a sole (Soleidae) from shallow coastal and estuarine water of West Africa in the eastern Atlantic. The species grows to about 30 cm and has a flattened, elongate-oval body with both eyes on the right side; the upper side is brown with scattered white spots, the underside white. As a nocturnal bottom-dweller it lies buried by day on sand and mud bottoms and searches by night for worms, small crustaceans and molluscs. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Whitespotted sole?

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

Where does the Whitespotted sole live?

The Whitespotted sole lives in brackish water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Whitespotted sole get?

The Whitespotted sole grows to a maximum of about 30 cm.

Is the Whitespotted sole dangerous to humans?

No, the Whitespotted sole is harmless to humans.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Witvlek-tong sourced
English name
Whitespotted sole sourced
Scientific name
Synaptura albomaculata
Family
Soleidae
Other names
Kaup's sole verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
30.0 verified
Body shape
Flat / disc-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Brown sourced
Pattern
Spots sourced
Tail shape
Rounded inferred

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Brackish sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

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

For anglers

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 verified

Status & sources

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

More from the family Soleidae

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