Sole

Sole, any fish of the genus Solea, of the family of Flat Fishes (q.v.), with about forty species from temperate and tropical seas. Like the rest of the family, they are ground-fishes, and feed freely on other fish. Most of them are found round the coast, and some enter fresh-water freely, though all breed in the sea. The eyes are on the right side; the mouth is narrow, and twisted round to the left; the dorsal fin commences at the snout, and does not join the anal fin, and the lateral line is straight. The Common Sole (Solea vulgaris) is a well-known and highly-valued food-fish, and the largest of the British species. It is taken more or less all round our coasts, but the North Sea is the best fishing-ground. The usual length is from ten to twenty inches, but much larger specimens are recorded. The colour above is brownish with black blotches. Other British species are the Lemon Sole (S. aurantiaca), the Banded Sole (S. variegata), and the Dwarf Sole (S. minuta).