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Slipper sole (Trinectes paulistanus) — Achiridae

Slipper sole

Trinectes paulistanus
Family: Achiridae
LC · Least Concern

The Slipper sole (Trinectes paulistanus) is a fish that lives in both fresh and salt water of the family Achiridae that grows up to 21 cm.

Length
20.5 cm
Water
Euryhaline
Depth
1.0–16.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Body shape
Flat / disc-shaped
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The slipper sole is an American sole (Achiridae) from the western Atlantic Ocean. As a flatfish it has a round, leaf-shaped body with both eyes on the upward-facing right side and a mottled upper side for camouflage. It is most abundant on shallow soft bottoms of brackish estuaries and hypersaline lagoons, but also enters fresh water. As a bottom hunter it feeds on small bottom invertebrates. The species is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Slipper sole?

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

Where does the Slipper sole live?

The Slipper sole lives in both fresh and salt water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Slipper sole get?

The Slipper sole grows to a maximum of about 21 cm. On average the species is around 12 cm.

Is the Slipper sole dangerous to humans?

No, the Slipper sole is harmless to humans.

Is the Slipper sole edible?

The Slipper sole is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Braziliaanse tong sourced
English name
Slipper sole verified
Scientific name
Trinectes paulistanus
Family
Achiridae
Other names
Sole; Southern hogchoker verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
20.5 verified
Average length (cm)
12.0 verified
Body shape
Flat / disc-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Brown inferred
Pattern
Spots inferred
Tail shape
Rounded inferred
Mouth position
Inferior (downward) inferred
Lips
Thick / fleshy inferred
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous inferred
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Euryhaline sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
1.0 verified
Max depth (m)
16.0 verified
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

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

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 Trinectes

More from the family Achiridae

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