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Species: Achirus lineatus, Lined sole

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~ 8 thin cross-bars + spots
C dark spots
blind side +/- rear 1/2 dark
D 49-60; A 38-48
pectoral 5-6
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This Species (22) This Genus (3) Similar Species (5)

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Achirus lineatus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Lined sole

Body oval; eyes on right side, small; snout rounded; front margin of head with short tentacles; mouth small, oblique, a little under snout; lips fleshy; rear edge of preopercle covered with skin, visible as a superficial groove; gill openings wide, united before pelvic fins; an opening connects gill chambers on both sides; dorsal origin ~ above eye dorsal rays 49-60; anal rays 38-48; pelvic on eye side fused to anal fin; pectoral rays usually 5-6; lateral line from head to tail, straight, with perpendicular branches running across body; body covered with rough scales and tufts of cirri.

Dark grey or brownish grey to light tan with about 8 vertical dark lines across eyed side plus many darks spots of varying sizes; dorsal, anal and tail fins with faint dark spots; tufts of cirri on eye-side dark; body at rear on blind side often darkly shaded.

Size: to 23 cm.

Inhabits sand-mud bottoms of estuaries, also in hypersaline lagoons.

Depth: 1-110 m.

S Carolina to Argentina.

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Species Data Create Report Export as Word File Export as Excel File
Salinity
  • Marine
  • Hypersaline
  • Brackish
  • Freshwater
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Estuary
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Sand & gravel
  • Mud
  • Soft bottom only
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
  • Freshwater
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
FishBase Habitat
  • Demersal
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Bony fishes
  • Data
  • Mobile benthic worms
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
Egg Type
  • Pelagic
  • Pelagic larva
  • Data
Global Endemism
  • West Atlantic Endemic
  • Greater Caribbean non-endemic
  • All species.
Regional Endemism
  • Island (s)
  • Continental primarily
  • All species..
  • Extends N + S of GC
  • GC non-endemic
  • Extends North of GC
  • Also in Brazil
  • Extends South of GC
  • Continent
  • Continent + Island (s)
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
IUCN Red List
  • Listed
  • Least concern
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 23
Depth Range Min
  • 1
Depth Range Max
  • 110