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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.

European flounder
Platichthys flesus
Φασί

Sustainability Status

Currently considered sustainable

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Help us protect our seas by reporting illegal or undersized fish that you see in markets, restaurants or fishing boats
Good choice – Consumption of this species is currently considered sustainable

Legal

Minimum Size

–

Prohibited Consumption Period

–

Sustainable

Minimum Size

23 cm

Avoid Consumption Period

January – April

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

Flet

it

Passera

es

Platija

tr

Pisi balığı

pt

Solha-da-pedra

nl

Bot

de

Butt

toxicity

This species is safe to consume.

iucn info

Least concern (LC)

Description

Flatfish, its disc width less than half its length. Small mouth, arched finrays. Eyes mostly on left side. Rough skin, especially along the lateral line and the basis of the dorsal and anal fin. Lateral line straight, slightly rounded over pectorals. Green-olive colored the bottom side white. Irregular reddish spots on the eye side.

It looks like Arnoglossus thori (Thor’s scaldfish), but Platichthys flesus has a longer anal fin.

Did you know?

While most species of flounder inhabit saltwater habitats, some can also be found in rivers and lakes!

Ecological Aspects

Diet

Carnivorous.
Feeds on benthic fauna, plankton, insect larvae, small fish, and invertebrates.

habitat

Benthopelagic.
Adults are found on mud and sand, estuaries, sea waters and brackish.

Max size & depth range

Max length: 60 cm
Max weight: 2.9 kg
Depth range: 1-100 m

breeding & Growth

Gonochoric (seperate sexes). Spawns between March through June.
Growth rate: Slow-moderate (k = 0.260 yr⁻¹).

Longevity & presence

Lifespan: 5-10 years
Max reported age: 15 years
Distribution: Mediterranean, White Sea, Black Sea, Eastern Atlantic, and Iran.

appearance changes

Platichthys flesus is born with symmetrical eyes. During metamorphosis, one eye migrates across the dorsal midline of the skull, settling on the same side as the other eye. The blind side of the body becomes unpigmented, while the eyed side adapts for camouflage.

Reproductive Cycle

Egg count: 110,000 – 2,604,809 eggs
Reproductive frequency: Once per year.
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If you’d like to learn more about the work of the Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation, please visit our website: https://archipelago.gr/

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