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Fish4Life provides everything you need to enjoy seafood responsibly. Explore information and practical tips for safe and sustainable seafood consumption, and help protect marine life by reporting undersized or illegally traded seafood.

Mediterranean scaldfish
Arnoglossus laterna
Γλώσσα – Αρνοζαγκέτα

Sustainability Status

Currently considered sustainable

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Good choice – Consumption of this species is currently considered sustainable

Legal

Minimum Size

–

Prohibited Consumption Period

–

Sustainable

Minimum Size

12 cm

Avoid Consumption Period

April – August

Advice for Consumption

Consumption of this species is currently considered sustainable.

Greek legislation does not establish legal minimum size and no closed season, leaving juvenile and spawning fish completely unprotected.

Choose responsibly by respecting sustainable size limits and avoiding consumption during the breeding season.

Archipelagos Tips

Choosing larger, mature fish helps reduce fishing pressure on juvenile individuals.

Common names

FR

Fausse limande

it

Zanchetta

es

Serrandell

tr

Dilbalığı

pt

Carta-do-Mediterrâneo

nl

Schurftvis

de

Lammzunge

toxicity

This species is safe to consume.

iucn info

Least concern (LC)

Description

Very thin, oval body. Its height is up to 40% of its length. None of the dorsal fin rays is prolonged. Lateral line with a marked curve over the pectoral fin. Behind the pelvic fins two backward curved thorns. Body slender, translucent, and shaped like a sole. Mottled sandy brown coloration.

It looks like Arnoglossus thori (Thor’s Scaldfish), both have mottled sandy brown coloration and a lateral line that curves over pectoral fin. However, Arnoglossus laterna (Mediterranean Scaldfish) is slightly narrower than Arnoglossus thori (Thor’s Scaldfish).

Did you know?

The scaldfish has a body so thin, it is almost transparent!

Ecological Aspects

Diet

Micro and macrobenthivorous.
Feed on small fishes and invertebrates.

habitat

Benthopelagic. Live on mixed or muddy bottoms.

Max size & depth range

Max length: 25 cm
Max weight: 25 g
Depth range: 10-200 m
 

breeding & Growth

It is a batch spawner that reproduces during the spring and summer, with peak spawning typically occurring in May.
Spawning activity is heavily influenced by water temperature and peaks during the summer months when the water is warmest.
Growth rate: Low-moderate (k=0.24yr⁻¹)

Longevity & presence

Lifespan: 3-5 years
Max reported age: 8 years
Distribution: Present in the Mediterranean and Black Sea, also in Eastern Atlantic, from Norway to Angola.

appearance changes

It goes through a drastic morphological shift as it develops from a pelagic larva into a benthic adult. As the larvae grow and prepare to settle on the sea floor, the fish undergo metamorphosis. The skull twists, and the left eye migrates over the dorsal ridge to the right side of the head. The body becomes strongly compressed (flattened) and more opaque, adopting the classic side-swimming posture of flatfish.

Reproductive Cycle

A female produces between 1,000 and 50,000 eggs depending on her size. It is a batch spawner that reproduces only once annually.
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Good choice – Consumption of this species is currently considered sustainable

Illegal species – Fishing, selling and consumption of this species is illegal

Fishstocks – Declining due to overexploitation

Think before you eat – This species faces increasing pressures and should only be consumed responsibly

Bad choice – Consumption of this species is unsustainable

Health concerns –
Can accumulate dangerously high levels of toxic substances harmful to health

Alien / Invasive – This species is not from this region and can have a negative impact on the ecosystem and threaten local biodiversity, so it is sustainable to eat

Aquafarms – You will commonly find this species coming from aquafarms