Sole, Flounder, Plaice

When born, a flatfish swims upright like any other fish. However, early in life, it turns sideways and one eye moves to the other side, giving the fish a lopsided grimace. Depending on the species, the eye may move left or right, giving left- and right-faced fish.

To the fishmonger, a small flatfish is flounder or sole. (In the United States, winter flounder is often sold as lemon sole but should not be confused with European lemon sole.) Flatfish market names vary greatly from region to region. In this section we refer to flatfish by the most common name for their species, but it is important to bear in mind that around fishing ports, there are often local kinds of flatfish with names peculiar to the area. As one expert has declared, “whether you call it flounder or sole depends on your location, prejudices and habit”. The truth is that few small flatfish are so distinctive as to be instantly recognizable. Plaice has large red spots, sand sole has brown freckles and yellowtail, as its name implies, has a yellow tail. All other flatfish are shades of gray, beige and brown.