Species FAO code: FLE

Platichthys flesus

Page contents

Commercial designations
Production methods and fishing gears
EU quality schemes and nutrition values
Conservation measures
Marketing standards
Species distribution and habitat
Species description
Combined Nomenclature

Commercial designations

Country	Commercial designations	Names accepted or permitted locally or regionally
Austria	de Butt de Flunder de Strufbutt	–
Belgium	fr Flet nl Bot	–
Bulgaria	bg Писия [Platichthys flesus luscus synonym for Platichthys flesus] bg Речна писия	–
Croatia	hr iverak	–
Cyprus	el γλώσσα χωματίδα	–
Czech Republic	cs Platýs malý cs Platýs říční cs Flounder	–
Denmark	da Skrubbe	–
Estonia	et Lest	–
Finland	fi kampela sv skrubbskädda sv skrubba sv flundra	–
France	fr flet commun fr flet	–
Germany	de Flunder de Butt de Strufbutt	–
Hungary	hu érdes lepényhal	–
Ireland	en European flounder en Flounder ga Leith Eorpach	–
Italy	it Passera it Passera pianuzza [Platichthys flesus italicus synonym for Platichthys flesus]	–
Latvia	lv Baltijas plekste [Platichthys flesus trachurus synonym for Platichthys flesus]	–
Lithuania	lt europinė upinė plekšnė lt Baltijos upinė plekšnė [Platichthys flesus trachurus synonym for Platichthys flesus]	–
Luxembourg	de Butt de Strufbutt de Flunder fr flet commun fr flet	–
Malta	en European flounder it Passera nera mt Barbun	–
Netherlands	nl Bot	–
Poland	pl Stornia pl flądra	–
Portugal	pt Solha pt Solha-da-pedra	–
Romania	ro Cambula [Platichthys flesus flesus synonym for Platichthys flesus] ro Cambula	–
Slovakia	sk platesa bradavičnatá	–
Slovenia	sl iverka	–
Spain	es Platija	Asturias: Xuella Balearic Islands: Plana Catalonia: Plana Galicia: Solla Basque Country: Platuxa
Sweden	sv Skrubbskädda sv Skrubba sv Flundra	–

Main production methods

Caught
Farmed

Main fishing gears

Source: Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. FishBase. Platichthys flesus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Nutrition values

	Nutrition values per serving (100g)
Energy	70.0 kcal
Total fat	1.93 g
Saturates	0.441 g
Carbohydrate	0.0 g
Sugars	0.0 g
Protein	12.41 g
Salt	740.0 mg

Source: USDA - FoodData Central

Minimum conservation reference sizes

As defined in art. 8 of Regulation (EU) 2015/812 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2015, which admends article 47 of Regulation (EU) No 1379/2013, where minimum conservation reference sizes are established, they shall constitute minimum marketing sizes. More

Minimum conservation reference size

≥ 23.0 cmTotal length (TL)

Fishing areas

27.3.b.23 Sound
27.3.c.22 Belt Sea
27.3.d.24 Baltic West of Bornholm (Subdivision 24)
27.3.d.25 Southern Central Baltic - West (Subdivision 25)

Minimum conservation reference size

≥ 21.0 cmTotal length (TL)

Fishing areas

27.3.d.26 Southern Central Baltic - East (Subdivision 26)
27.3.d.27 West of Gotland (Subdivision 27)
27.3.d.28 East of Gotland or Gulf of Riga (Subdivision 28)

Minimum conservation reference size

≥ 18.0 cmTotal length (TL)

Fishing areas *

27.3.d.29 Archipelago Sea (Subdivision 29)
27.3.d.30 Bothnian Sea (Subdivision 30)
27.3.d.31 Bothnian Bay (Subdivision 31)
27.3.d.32 Gulf of Finland (Subdivision 32)

* south of 59°

TACs and quotas

Total allowable catches (TACs) or fishing opportunities, are catch limits (expressed in tonnes or numbers) that are set for most commercial fish stocks. TACs are set annually for most stocks (every two years for deep-sea stocks) by the Council of fisheries ministers. TACs are shared between EU countries in the form of national quotas. For each stock a different allocation percentage per EU country is applied for the sharing out of the quotas. Read more: TACs and quotas

Stocks (2021)

FLX/05B-F.

Pleuronectiformes

Fishing areas

27.5.b Faeroes Grounds (Division Vb) Faroese waters

TAC

Not relevant

Union

0.0 t

Specific requirements that fishery products marketed in the EU shall meet. They include freshness and size categories.

Freshness categories

	A	B	Extra
Flesh	Less elastic	Slightly soft (flaccid), less elastic; waxy (velvety) and dull surface	Firm and elastic; smooth surface
Gills	Less coloured; transparent mucus	Brown/grey becoming discoloured; thick, opaque mucus	Bright colour; no mucus
Peritoneum (in gutted fish)	Slightly dull; can be detached from flesh	Speckled; comes away easily from flesh	Smooth; bright; difficult to detach from flesh
Smell of gills and abdominal cavity	No smell of seaweed; neutral smell	Fermented; slightly sour	Seaweedy
Eye	Convex and slightly sunken; black dull pupil; slightly opalescent cornea	Flat; opalescent cornea; opaque pupil	Convex (bulging); black, bright pupil; transparent cornea
Skin	Pigmentation bright but not lustrous	Pigmentation in the process of becoming discoloured and dull	Bright, iridescent pigment (save for redfish) or opalescent; no discolouration
Skin mucus	Slightly cloudy	Milky	Aqueous, transparent

Size categories

Size	weight/fish
1	≥ 0.3 kg
2	≥ 0.2 \| ≤ 0.3 kg

Habitat

Saltwater
Freshwater
Brackish water

FAO major fishing areas

Source: Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. FishBase. Platichthys flesus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Distribution maps

Source: Aquamaps - Computer Generated Native Distribution Map for Platichthys flesus

Source: FAO - FAO aquatic species distribution map of Platichthys flesus

Scientific name

Platichthys flesus

Author

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Rank

Species

FAO code

FLE

Morphological description

Flatfish, its disc width less than half its length (Ref. 3137). Small mouth (Ref. 3137, Ref. 51442). Eyes mostly (70%) on right side (Ref. 3137, 51442), 79% of dextrally oriented flounder (n = 1076) in Bos, 2000 (Ref. 57574). Rough skin, especially along the lateral line and the basis of the dorsal and anal fin (Ref. 3137). Lateral line straight, slightly rounded over pectorals (Ref. 3137). Green-olive colored (Ref. 51442), the bottom side white (Ref. 3137). Irregular reddish spots on the eye side (Ref. 35388).

Taxonomic classification

ClassActinopterygii
- OrderPleuronectiformes
  - FamilyPleuronectidae
    - GenusPlatichthys
      - SpeciesPlatichthys flesus

Synonyms

Platessa flesus var. marmorata Nordmann, 1840
Platichthys flesus trachurus (Duncker, 1892)
Pleuronectes luscus Pallas, 1814
Platichthys flesus var. marmorata (Nordmann, 1840)
Pleuronectes passer Linnaeus, 1758
Pleuronectes italicus Günther, 1862
Pleuronectes roseus Shaw, 1796
Pleuronectes flesoides Pontoppidan, 1766
Pleuronectes flesus baltica Suvorov, 1925
Platichthys flesus flesus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Platessa carnaria Brown, 1830
Platessa glabra Rathke, 1837
Pleuronectes flesus Linnaeus, 1758
Flesus vulgaris Moreau, 1881
Platichthys flesus bogdanovi (Sandeberg, 1878)
Pleuronectes flesus trachurus Duncker, 1892
Platichthys flesus luscus (Pallas, 1814)
Pleuronectes bogdanovii Sandeberg, 1878
Pleuronectes flesus caninensis Suvorov, 1929
Pleuronectes flesus luscus Pallas, 1814
Platichthys luscus (Pallas, 1814)
Platichthys flesus italicus (Günther, 1862)
Pleuronectes flesus septentrionalis Berg, 1932
Pleuronectes flesus leiurus Duncker, 1892
Pleuronectes flesus septentrionalis Surorov, 1925

Source: Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. FishBase. Platichthys flesus (Linnaeus, 1758)

An annually revised goods classification scheme used in EU for the purposes of customs duty and foreign trade statistics. The scheme is based on the Harmonized System nomenclature, further extended with Community subdivisions. Each subdivision is identified by an eight-digit numerical code. Read more: Combined Nomenclature

03 — CHAPTER 3 - FISH AND CRUSTACEANS, MOLLUSCS AND OTHER AQUATIC INVERTEBRATES
- 0302 — Fish, fresh or chilled, excluding fish fillets and other fish meat of heading 0304
  - Flat fish (Pleuronectidae, Bothidae, Cynoglossidae, Soleidae, Scophthalmidae and Citharidae), excluding livers and roes
    - 0302 29 — Other
      - 0302 29 80 — Other
- 0303 — Fish, frozen, excluding fish fillets and other fish meat of heading 0304
  - Flat fish (Pleuronectidae, Bothidae, Cynoglossidae, Soleidae, Scophthalmidae and Citharidae), excluding livers and roes
    - 0303 39 — Other
      - 0303 39 10 — Flounder (Platichthys flesus)
- 0304 — Fish fillets and other fish meat (whether or not minced), fresh, chilled or frozen
  - Fresh or chilled fillets of other fish
    - 0304 43 00 — Flat fish (Pleuronectidae, Bothidae, Cynoglossidae, Soleidae, Scophthalmidae and Citharidae)
  - Frozen fillets of other fish
    - 0304 83 — Flat fish (Pleuronectidae, Bothidae, Cynoglossidae, Soleidae, Scophthalmidae and Citharidae)
      - 0304 83 30 — Flounder (Platichthys flesus)

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Platichthys flesus

Commercial designations

Main production methods

Main fishing gears

Hooks and lines

Pots and traps

Trawls

Nutrition values

Minimum conservation reference sizes

TACs and quotas

Stocks (2021)

Freshness categories

Size categories

Habitat

FAO major fishing areas

Area 18 - Arctic Sea

Area 27 - Atlantic, Northeast

Area 34 - Atlantic, Eastern Central

Area 37 - Mediterranean and Black Sea

Area 5 - Europe - Inland waters

Distribution maps