Plaice
ExploreFish
Plaice
Pleuronectes platessa
Plaice is a flat fish with a tasty flavor. They often rest on the seabed and are known for their colorful spots!
Habitat: Sea floor
Appearance
The Plaice is a flatfish with both eyes positioned on its right side. Its olive-brown back is covered with bright, round orange or red spots, which help it blend into the seabed. Its underside is pure white.
KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassActinopteriOrderPleuronectiformesFamilyPleuronectidaeGenusPleuronectes
Category
FishRarity
Common
Danger
2/5 · Low
Snaps
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Interesting facts
Baby plaice start life swimming upright, then tilt over as they grow!
Plaice can live for almost 30 years, making them quite old for a fish!
Their unique orange spots are a tell-tale sign that it's a plaice!
You can tell a plaice's age by counting the rings on its ear bone!
Special abilities
Ability
Camouflage Master
Plaice can change their skin color and pattern because it helps them perfectly blend into the sandy or muddy seafloor.
Ability
Burrowing Hideout
Plaice has a super flat body that helps them hide from predators by burying themselves quickly into the seabed.
Ability
Mobile Eyesight
Plaice has eyes that move to one side as they grow, which helps them see above while lying flat on the ocean floor.
Measurements & details
- Length
- 25-50 cm
- Weight
- 0.5-2 kg
- Lifespan
- 15-20 years
- Swim Speed
- 10 km/h
- Maximum Depth
- 200 m
- Water Type
- Saltwater
Diet & Feeding
Plaice are hunters, munching on small sea creatures found hiding in the sand.
Age differences: Younger plaice eat smaller crustaceans, while adults tackle larger worms and molluscs.
Primary Foods
- polychaete worms
- small crustaceans
- bivalve molluscs
- brittle stars
Foraging Method
- Foraging
Ecological connections
eaten by
Atlantic Cod
Gadus morhua
Adult plaice can become prey for large cod.
eaten by
Harbor Seal
Phoca vitulina
Seals hunt plaice as part of their varied marine diet.
eats
Lugworm
Arenicola marina
Plaice actively forage for lugworms buried in the seabed.
Traits
Wildlife
Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats.
Solitary
Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.
Camouflaged
Camouflaged describes organisms that possess coloring or patterns that allow them to blend into their environment.
Colorful
Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
Piscivorous
Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish.
Longevous
This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind.
Aquatic
Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands.
Marine
Marine habitats encompass all saltwater environments of the Earth's oceans, supporting an immense diversity of aquatic life.
Also known as
Common PlaiceEuropean Plaice
Collections
Safety
Danger
2/5 · Low
Watch quietly from a distance and never try to feed or chase wild animals.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is Plaice?
25-50 cm
How much does Plaice weigh?
0.5-2 kg
How long does Plaice live?
15-20 years
What does Plaice eat?
Plaice are hunters, munching on small sea creatures found hiding in the sand.
How fast can Plaice swim?
10 km/h
Where is Plaice usually found?
Sea floor
How does Plaice hunt?
Foraging
How deep can Plaice go?
200 m
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