European plaice (Pleuronectes platessa)

European plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) – ray-finned fish of the Pleuronectidae family. The body shape of adults is oval, the body is strongly compressed. The head is small, less than a quarter of the length of the entire fish. The small mouth is in front of the head, the upper jaw is just below the right eye. Both eyes are on the right side of the body. The lateral line runs just above the pectoral fin. The anal fin has 48–61 soft rays, the dorsal fin has 65–84 soft rays, the pectoral fins have 7–14 soft rays, and the pelvic fins have 6 soft rays. The ophthalmic side of the body of the European plaice is olive brown blotched with conspicuous, but irregularly distributed, orange or yellow spots. The blind side of the body is white. The skin is smooth, even, with small scales. The maximum length can be up to 1 m, the average – 50–60 cm. The highest recorded body weight is 7 kg. Life expectancy is up to 50 years. Marine demersal fish. It occurs on sandy and silty soils on the...