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Lepidopsetta polyxystra

(Northern Rock Sole)

Overview

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Family : Righteye flounders ; Occurs on sand , also together with gravel and mud (Ref. 37594).

Common Names

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Common Names in English:

Northern Rock Bass, Northern Rock Sole

Description

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Family Pleuronectidae

Chiefly marine ; occasionally brackish ; rare in freshwater . Distribution: Arctic , Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. Both eyes normally on the right side. Preoperculum with a free margin . Fins without spines. Dorsal fin extends on head . Swimbladder absent in adults . The pigmented side is capable of remarable color changes in order to match the bottom . Predators of benthic invertebrates and fishes . Pelagic spawners. Eggs without oil globule in yolk . Benthic, from a few to more than 1,000 m. Almost all species important to fisheries. Cooper and Chapleau (1998; Ref. 30193) exclude the subfamilies Poecilopsettinae, Rhombosoleinae, and Paralichthodinae.The family Pleuronectidae belongs to the Class Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) and the Order Pleuronectiformes. It contains 39 genera and 93 species. It may be found in Marine, Brackish, and Freshwater environments and is primarily Marine. Members of this family are not used in the aquarium trade. Reproductively, most members of this family are nonguarders. The main mode of swimming of adult fish in this family is anguilliform . Compared with other fish, the activity level of this family tends to be normal. Members of this family have been dated back to the Eocene epoch of the Tertiary period. Etymology of this family name : Greek, pleura = side, ribe + Greek, nekton = swimmer

Physical Description

Species Lepidopsetta polyxystra

Rock soles grow to approximately 60 cm and live 15-20 years. Maturity occurs in 4-7 years.

Habitat

Typically found in water with a depth of 0 to -5,246 meters (0 to -17,211 feet).Mean = -170.840 meters (-560.499 feet), Standard Deviation = 424.730 based on 1,835 observations. Ocean depth information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre.

Biome: Saltwater . Demersal .

Biology

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Diet

Rock soles are highly cryptic in coloration and movement, and continue to eat small invertebrates throughout their lives in the benthos .

Reproduction

Adhesive eggs are laid on the bottom and hatch in 6-25 days depending upon temperature . The larvae develop in the upper water column consuming small zooplankton . Metamorphosis occurs at about 15 mm, and small juveniles can be very abundant in shallow, near-shore waters where they consume polychaetes and small crustaceans.

Taxonomy

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Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: March 05, 2002.

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Lepidopsetta

There are approximately 10 species in this genus:

L. bilineata (Rock Sole) · L. bilineata bilineata · L. bilineata umbrosa · L. bilineatus · L. mochigarei (Asabakarei) · L. pinnifasciata · L. polyxystra (Northern Rock Sole) · L. spp · L. umbrina · L. umbrosa

Bibliography

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More Info

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal March 01, 2008:

Identifiers

Footnotes

Last Revised: 2008-10-02