#rock sole

[i-give-you-a-fish]

may i have a very silly fish

Why he shaped like that

You get a Rock Sole

Lepidopsetta bilineata

[flat-fish-daily]

Rock Sole (Photo by NOAA Fisheries) - Daily Flatfish #45

[unofficial-sean]

Shellfies with a handsome rock sole (Lepidopsetta bilineata) and a red rock crab (Cancer productus)

[unofficial-sean]

Rock Sole Identification

Have you ever see a flatfish and wondered “Huh, is that a rock sole (Lepidopsetta bilineata)?” Well, you’ve come to the right place! Here are two simple tips to answering the age-old question: rock sole or not rock sole?

Tip 1: L. bilineata is a unique species in that they do not bury themselves. Rather, they lay atop the sea floor. If you see a wild flatfish not in the water column or not as a pair of lil eyes sticking out of the substrate, there’s a good chance it’s a rock sole!

Tip 2: Now, Tip 1 alone is not enough. Even if the rock sole does not instinctually bury itself as a predation and defense mechanism, all flatfish may crawl on the substrate for short-range locomotion. Because of the chromatophores possessed by the pleuronectodae family, color cannot be relied upon, either. So what can you use to identify a rock sole? Well, gaze into their special eyes! Most flatfish in the north Pacific feature oblong pupils, but the rock sole has a bean shaped pupil! Illustrations below.

(standard flatfish pupil)

(rock sole pupil)

If you are lucky enough to get close to a rock sole, this simple feature will allow you to answer said age-old question. Cheers!

[unofficial-sean]

Rock soles (Lepidopsetta bilineata)

[unofficial-sean]

I got my ROV back together and took her out for an expedition! It's been almost 5 whole months since her last foray! Many sea cucumbers, flatfish, sculpins, and crabs to be seen!

[unofficial-sean]

If anyone knows what these worm-like creatures are (not pictured in the thumbnail), do let me know!

[unofficial-sean]

Footage from my dive this morning!

Rock soles, speckled sanddabs, helmet crabs, graceful crabs, red rock crabs, longnose crabs, snake pricklebacks, anemones, and more await you beneath the emerald sea surface off the shore of Steilacoom, WA.